You're Not Alone
by Magic Of Every Kind
Summary: Skyla has always been told she is the last of her kind, and living as a slave in a top secret facility, she's in no position to find out otherwise. But then the chance for escape arises and suddenly, she may not be as alone as she thought...
1. Sold

**Dear Reader,**

**Welcome! Thank you for clicking on my story, I hope you don't regret it...! This here is my surprisingly popular Ratchet and Clank FanFiction entitled 'You're Not Alone' by me, Magic Of Every Kind. This story has taken a lot of time and effort on my part, but I am pleased to report myself extremely satisfied with the outcome :)  
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**You don't need to know the games to enjoy this story, and I've included a short summary so those who have never heard of Ratchet and Clank get an idea of the setting. Treat it as you would most other fictional works; it's for your entertainment, after all! However, if you do know the games, then I hope you enjoy my little insight into the world of Ratchet and Clank...see how much you can spot from the games :P  
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**I do not own Ratchet and Clank, they belong to Insomniac, and this will be the only disclaimer in the story.**

**This work may be complete, but I still value each and every review I get for it...so please don't hold back on the opinions, constructive criticism or otherwise!**

**Thank you for your time, and happy reading :)  
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Ratchet and Clank – A Summary

The Ratchet and Clank universe is comprised of three known galaxies; the Solana Galaxy (where this story is set), the Bogon Galaxy and the Polaris Galaxy. The Solana galaxy is governed by a Galactic Government, headed by an elected Galactic President who resides in Capital City on Planet Marcadia (the capital of the galaxy). Under the Galactic Government is the Galactic Court whose job it is to uphold law and order in the galaxy. There is also a military division of the Galactic Government formed of the Galactic Fleet and the Galactic Rangers who are in charge of the protection of the galaxy, though some major planets have their own defence systems.

The range of planets is diverse, from swampy wasteland (Sarathos), to vast jungles (Florana), to tropical seaside's (Pokitaru) to large cities (Kerwan). Some planets have their own smaller governments, run by Chairmen, Governors and Mayors, and some are even run by large companies such as Gadgetron (primary weapons manufacturer). Not all planets are densely populated and some have very few or no cities with small settlements being the only populated locations. The Shadow Sector lies on the outskirts of the Galaxy and is known for being a relatively lawless and remote place, meaning that it is also the most dangerous part of the galaxy. The currency used throughout the galaxies is Bolts which come in different shapes and sizes and are used just like coins or notes. Many sentient beings have their home in the Solana Galaxy, the most notable ones being the green skinned Rilgarians of planet Rilgar, the blue skinned Novalians of planet Novalis, the pale skinned Kerwanians of planet Kerwan, the fox-like Cazar of planet Marcadia, and the red skinned Blarg of planet Orxon.

Ratchet, the hero of the games, is a Lombax, cat-like bipedal creatures originating from planet Fastoon in the Polaris Galaxy (though he grew up on planet Veldin in the Solana Galaxy). They have large ears, triangular feet with three claws, five digits on each hand and are covered in velvety fur with stripes running down parts of their body. Female Lombaxes have hair and no tail whereas male Lombaxes have no hair and a tail. Lombaxes are known for their affinity to gadgetry and machinery and make expert mechanics and inventors, often modifying existing technology to suit their means. The Wrench is a traditional Lombax melee weapon, used like a sword but is also handy for cranking gears and cogs. Lombaxes are among the rarest creatures in the universe, and the reasons for this will be explained in this story.

**Now, without further ado ladies and gentleman, may I present my fanfiction...'You're Not Alone'. Enjoy...!**

Approximately 4 years before Clank crashes on Veldin and the events of the first game unfold, on a shady planet, somewhere in the Solana Galaxy...

The underground market was positively bustling early morning. Creatures of a variety of species could be seen bartering and selling their wares, keeping an eye out for potential buyers or shoplifters. A tall Novalian strolled casually through the crowd, seemingly oblivious to the chaos around him. He walked with a style that emanated arrogance and many creatures wondered who he was as he passed by, and if he knew where he was. Surely someone of his species and clothing (which were very rich in taste) wouldn't want to visit _this_ kind of market...?

A small Blargian child watched the blue skinned man go by and stood up. That guy was just _asking _to be pick-pocketed. He darted around the stalls until he was ahead of the Novalian, then turned back and began walking casually towards him. There were many people about so no-one noticed as the child brushed past the stranger, hand dipping in and out of his open pocket with experienced ease. He grasped something and made to get away.

Iron fingers clamped around the child's wrist and he let out a yelp of pain. All of a sudden, he found himself hauled up by the scruff of the neck so he was looking directly into the stranger's eyes.

"Pick-pocketing, are we, boy?" the Novalian growled menacingly. The child struggled against his captor's grasp but said nothing. Holding the boy with one hand the stranger pried the object from the child's hand. It was just a bolt, a nice shiny one, but nothing special at all. Smiling horribly the man pocketed it and lifted the child again,

"You're lucky it wasn't anything valuable, now get out of my sight or I'll tear the flesh from your bones." He dropped the child who scrabbled away as fast as possible. The casual way he'd issued the warning would have anyone believe he was joking, but the boy had seen the stranger's eyes glint as he spoke and knew it was no idle threat.

The man strode on as if nothing had happened, head held high once again. Stallholders who had watched the encounter looked away as he passed. He may be arrogant, but something about the man screamed '_DANGER'._

Eventually, he reached his destination and took a place among the gathered crowd. Looking up onto the stage he was pleased to see the auction had only just begun and there were plenty of items still to be sold. He watched as a medium sized article was heaved onto the stage.

"Item 53," called the auctioneer, "young male Markazian, prime of his youth. Perfect for manual or domestic labour. Bidding starts at 500 bolts." The stranger studied the young male on stage. He was scantily clad in rough garments that only covered his legs, leaving his torso exposed. His sharp ears and tail were drooped in defeat and he was visibly shivering, most probably with fright. The bids began to rise but the Novalian kept his mouth shut. The young creature was too lean, and too common to work in his facility. He was finally sold to a very fat robot who the man recognised as the owner of a building plant on Gaspar. The Markazian was lucky, at least on Gaspar he'd be able to breathe of his own accord. The stranger knew of some places where creatures had to work for the oxygen they breathed; you didn't usually last long in places like that.

Several other items were sold but the Novalian wasn't interested in any of them. He debated leaving but then a young Cazar was brought up for sale and he stayed. Cazar were excellent workers and this one looked like it knew work, and obedience. He bid up to 2,500 bolts but then dropped it. There was a Blargian businessman who seemed determined to obtain the creature so the stranger let him have it. To his surprise, he noted he was being rather nice that day. For a start, he hadn't actually punished the boy who'd tried to pick-pocket him and he was letting an obviously inferior Blargian walk away with something he had wanted. He chuckled slightly to himself and a few buyers glanced around at him curiously. He simply grinned back and they all quickly looked away.

A few more items went to new owners and the Novalian had gotten bored. There was nothing of any value to be bought today. He turned and began making his was back through the crowd, pushing people aside without so much as an 'excuse me'.

"Item 39," the auctioneer's voice reached him over the chatter but he didn't turn around. "Now this, ladies and gents, is a rare one. Get your bolts ready because she's gonna be pricey." His curiosity aroused, the stranger turned in time to see Item 39 dragged onto the podium. The creature thrashed about for a minute before the auctioneer cracked his whip, making it snarl and lash out. Sighing irritably, the auctioneer flicked a switch on his auction stand and the chains around the creatures wrists snapped into place, cuffing its hands in tight metal bonds. The chain connecting the feet was shortened and only gave minimum leverage, preventing them from moving without falling over. Suitably restrained, the creature looked up at the crowd with a challenging glare.

Many a creature gasped when they registered what it was.

The stranger's eyes widened and he roughly pushed forward through the stunned crowd to get a better look. Was this an illusion?

The auctioneer smiled smugly at the awestruck audience and twirled his whip playfully,

"May I present to you, ladies and gentlemen, the last Lombax in existence."

He wasn't seeing things, it was really there! The Novalian ran his keen eyes over the creature. It was young, very young in fact, no more than a decade old. It had grey fur that covered its entire body, though darker grey stripes could be seen on its ears, arms and legs. It wore a faded top and shorts, but he knew there would also be stripes around the middle and shoulders. Its slender figure, delicate features and lack of a tail told him it was a female. She also had long hair that fell around her shoulders in a messy tumble of grey. She stood upright, no longer struggling but looking directly into the audience with a fearless glare. Then he noticed the most amazing thing about her. Her eyes. Even from this distance, he could see they were a bright blue and almost crackling with energy. Right now, they contained nothing but anger and defiance as she looked over the gathered creatures, lip curled ever so slightly as if they were beneath her. Even in chains, she held herself in such a way that exuded bravery and nobility. She was incredible.

He had to have her.

Unfortunately, he wasn't the only one. Almost immediately as the auctioneer opened the bidding at 3,000 bolts there were immediate raises. The Novalian added his voice and started playing. He had to have her, and he knew he would, but he was going to let the other buyers think they had some sort of chance before finally outbidding them and grinding them into dust with envy.

The price rose at an exceedingly alarming rate as people joined and left the bid. More people had gathered as the word had quickly gone around of Item 39's species and many eyes watched intently as the bidding heated.

The stranger calmly beat all his opponents until it was just him and two other wealthy creatures. One was a large Agorian who held a senior position on the Agorian Battleplex, and the other a robot, famous for his restaurants but even more famous for his pleasure cruises. No doubt he'd train the Lombax to become the ultimate companion, though what the Agorian wanted with her the stranger did not know.

But she wasn't going to either of them and the Agorian dropped out once they'd reached 400,000 bolts. It was just him and the robot, now.

He wanted to smile but the robot was getting really worked up and he didn't want to aggravate him any further, however fun it could be. The restaurant owner began to panic, the idea that he might not win finally clicking in his mechanic brain. In desperation, he started making extraordinary jumps.

"500,000 bolts!" he exclaimed and eyebrows rose all around. The excitement in the air was stifling as people wondered where it would end. Most of them recognised the robot, but no-one knew the calm Novalian who bid against him. This was proving to be a memorable auction...

"550,000 bolts," the stranger spoke evenly, not having to raise his voice at all as there was an apprehensive silence. The robot looked at him nervously (he could tell by his twitching eye socket) and whispered something to the smaller robot next to him. The conversation was hushed and very fast.

"Sir? Are you withdrawing from the bid?" the auctioneer enquired, he was nearly shaking with anticipation. This was surely an auction that would go down in history, with him as the auctioneer! The robot looked up,

"Final offer, 800,000 bolts." There were several cries of astonishment from all around and people began whispering fiercely to their neighbours. 800,000 bolts? That was unheard of for a simple slave, and certainly the most that had ever been offered in this market. The stranger kept up the facade of coolness, though secretly he wanted to burst out laughing with maniacal glee. He let those around him chatter until they all realised he hadn't said a thing.

"Do I hear a raise on 800,000 bolts?" the auctioneer asked hoarsely, feeling giddy. The Novalian looked up at him calmly until all around him was absolute silence. You could have sliced the atmosphere with a knife.

"1 million bolts," he said softly, but everyone heard. Several creatures fell over in shock and the robot he'd been bidding against gave a squeak as his lower abdomen exploded. He collapsed and was quickly hauled away by the smaller robots around him. But no-one noticed him leave as all eyes remained glued to the stranger, watching as he walked towards the raised platform. The crowd parted before him like a wave and soon enough, he was on stage beside the auctioneer. He raised an eyebrow in a questioning look and the fat auctioneer seemed to come partially out of his shock.

"Sold to the gentleman for 1...m-million bolts," he gasped quietly before holding out his hand for the money. Slowly, the stranger drew out a cheque, scrawled something lazily and handed it to the shaking creature. Without another word, the blue skinned man walked across to the slave, flicking the switch on the stand as he passed. The chains around the female's wrists loosened, though still keeping her reasonably constrained.

He grabbed her shoulders and began shoving her off the stage. She struggled a little against him but he was clearly the stronger one as he shoved her once again, making her stumble forward several paces. Growling softly, she seemed to realise resistance was futile and allowed him to lead her through the crowd who had begun whispering once again.

Neither of them said a word as they walked back through the market place. Many creatures stopped to stare at the duo as they passed, as they made such an odd combination to be found in such a place. The female's eyes flicked over the stalls as they moved by, as if searching for something. Whatever it was, she didn't find it as they entered the main hangar and made for a nearby parked ship. It was small, compared to some others around, but it could easily hold ten people including the pilot.

The side door opened as they approached and a large figure peered out.

"Alright, boss?" it asked in a thick voice. The stranger simply shoved the girl into the ship and entered after her.

"Let's go, Grynk," he took his seat at the main helm and the doors closed, "chain her up, she's quite spirited." The Reaper obediently advanced on the girl and though she tried to evade him, lashing out when he was close, he quickly had her secured to the main vessel. She wasn't going anywhere.

She glared fiercely at them both, her eyes shooting daggers at the back of the Novalian's head.

"You're a Lombax," Grynk observed stupidly. He received a withering look in return.

"I thought they was extinct," the Reaper commented aloud.

"They are," answered the stranger as he directed the ship out of the hangar and off the planet's surface, "that's why I bought her". Once they'd picked up a steady course he switched to autopilot and left his seat. Moving over to the girl he towered over her menacingly,

"I paid a pretty penny for you. What's your name?" The girl simply glared up at him, not showing any signs of intimidation. The stranger slapped her lazily across the face and her head shot back with the force.

"You answer me when I ask you a question," he told her smoothly, his voice laced with venom. The girl's blue eyes hardened and she raised her head, exposing her throat. A small device clung to the base of her neck and the stranger realised what it was with a grim smile. Reaching forward, he plucked the device from her neck and tossed it over his shoulder.

"Now, answer me, what is your name?" The girl opened her mouth a few times, recovering from the effects of the speech-inhibitor. Then she looked up at him with eyes as cold and as hard as steel,

"My name," she answered in a young but surprisingly strong voice, "is Skyla."


	2. Welcome to the Facility

Nearly a decade later, in a secret facility on Florana...

There was a buzz on the door to Drako's quarters and he looked up from the security plans he was revising. Closing the file he checked nothing of value was in sight before calling,

"Come in." The door slid open and a slightly panting Kerwanian came in,

"Sir..." he gasped, "there's a fight." Drako got to his feet quickly, snatching his hand gun off the desk and shoving into his belt.

"Where?"

"Hydroponics Chamber," the creature replied. Drako brushed past him and began striding off in the direction of the chamber, the Kerwanian followed close behind.

"When did it start?" he asked as they walked briskly.

"A few minutes ago, I came to get you straight away," the young creature replied, having to take two steps for Drako's one.

"Are there no guards on duty?" the head of Security asked incredulously. The hydroponics chamber was massive, surely someone must have seen something...?

"Well..." the Kerwanian seemed reluctant to reply. Drako glanced at him as they turned the corner, not far now.

"Well what?" The man had no time to reply as the sounds of fighting reached their ears. Stabbing in the code Drako swept into the chamber. It was filled with all types of exotic plants, bright and colourful in appearance, but no-one was admiring them at the moment as all attention was focused on two creatures fighting on the tiled floor.

They were encircled by a mixture of guards and workers, distinguishable by their uniforms. Drako scanned the fighting creatures and quickly realised why none of the guards had alerted him.

Groaning inwardly he shoved through the ring and plunged into the fight. The excited cries of 'fight! fight!' from the gathered guards faded as their superior pulled apart the fighters. Hauling away the smaller of the two he attempted to restrain them. The other fighter got to their feet. He was a Snivelakian, and a guard by his uniform. He scowled angrily at the creature that struggled in Drako's arms. The Head of Security fought to control the thrashing form in his grasp,

"Be still, you little minx," he hissed and the creature gradually stilled. He released them but kept his body planted in between the opponents, lest things kick off again.

Drako observed the smaller creature for a moment, taking in the heaving chest, clenched fists and blazing blue eyes. Sighing to himself Drako turned to the guard,

"Explain." There was no need to ask, he could already accurately pinpoint what had happened; he only asked for protocol's sake.

"She attacked me," the guard spat, looking around his fellows for support and receiving nods of agreement.

"He provoked me," the young female retorted. Drako held up his hand for silence,

"Can anyone tell me what really happened?" he asked wearily, though he didn't need to. He knew how these situations played out. He looked around the gathered creatures nevertheless, searching for someone to explain properly. Another Kerwanian, a female, raised her hand slightly. He looked at her expectantly.

"He did provoke her but she was the first to attack," she informed him quietly.

"Thank you, Flora," Drako nodded his thanks. He turned his attention back to the fighters who were glaring fiercely at each other.

"I won't tell Baen, for both your sakes," he told them, "but no more fighting, and I mean it, or there will be severe punishments...for both of you," he added, looking pointedly at the guard. The reptile shifted and scowled but nodded curtly in acknowledgement. The smaller fighter also nodded and smirked,

"As long as he keeps his big mouth shut, I won't have a reason to kick his behind."

"That's enough, Skyla. Taktar, come with me, I'm moving your shift," Drako gestured to the guard who opened his mouth to protest but was cut across by his superior, "not a word. Right everyone, back to work." The creatures dispersed obediently and the Head of Security left the chamber, closely followed by the guard who shot daggers at his opponent until they were out of sight.

"Nice one Sky, you nearly had him there," a nearby Rilgarian muttered to the creature as he passed by. Skyla gave him a small smile,

"Thanks, Jaymz...maybe next time." The green skinned man chuckled at this but said nothing.

Retrieving the watering can she'd dropped when she'd first punched the guard, the Lombax continued the work she'd been doing. The hydroponics chamber contained almost every kind of plant you'd never find anywhere else. Her current job was to water those that needed constant watering, either because they were used to damp conditions or simply sucked up water like there was no tomorrow (which was ironic, in a way).

They had hydration systems in place, but sometimes they weren't enough and Baen liked to know his things were being looked after properly, by living, breathing beings. That's why there were always several guards lounging about the chamber, chatting and occasionally making a nuisance of themselves. They made sure the workers did what they were supposed to, but they weren't averse to a little distraction every now and again, as Skyla's fight with Taktar had proven.

Barely ten minutes had passed after the incident when there was a tap on Skyla's shoulder. She turned around to see the soft hazel eyes of a female Cazar, a few years her senior.

"You had another fight?" she asked, one eyebrow raised. Skyla bit her lip and shrugged apologetically, knowing it was pointless to deny it. The Cazar sighed,

"You can't keep doing this, Sky."**  
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"He was asking for it!" the young Lombax protested but her friend simply shook her head.

"Is it really so hard to just walk away?" Skyla looked at the Cazar with a somewhat guilty expression but made no reply. They both knew the answer to that.

"I'm sorry, Maia," Skyla mumbled. The Cazar rolled her eyes,

"If only that were true," she muttered. Skyla's expression of guilt deepened, though it looked like the kind of look a child gave their mother when they knew they had done something wrong...but didn't regret it.

"You're right, I'm not sorry," she admitted. Maia shook her head in disbelief,

"What am I going to do with you, Sky?" she asked, thinking aloud, "can you not go through one week without getting into some sort of trouble?" The Lombax shifted,

"If they kept their big mouths shut I might..."

"No, Sky, this isn't about them," Maia interrupted, "yes, they are idiots and yes, they say stupid things. You need to learn to ignore them! What if, one day, things go horribly wrong and no-one's around to save you?" Skyla fiddled with her watering can and didn't answer. Everything she had to say would already have crossed Maia's mind, such was their friendship. Maia sighed again,

"I know you think you don't need saving...but can you understand what I'm saying? It doesn't bear thinking about what they could do to you if their minds ever turned to darker thoughts."

"I don't care what they do to me..." Skyla began to speak, but the Cazar cut across,

"Well _I_ do!" Maia exclaimed, keeping her voice firm but soft so as not to attract unwanted attention. Skyla's eyes softened and she smiled gently,

"I know you do, Maia," her expression hardened, "but I mean it when I say they can do what they like to me, I will never break."

"Please, Sky..." Maia murmured, inwardly cursing the proud streak in the Lombax, "I don't like it when you get hurt. And I hate to break it to you but you're not indestructible. No-one is." Skyla mulled over her friends words, seeing the truth in them (though she was loath to admit it). She nodded,

"I can't promise anything...but I'll try, Maia. For you. I'll try and stay out of trouble," she told her friend seriously and honestly.

"That's all I'm asking...it's all I _ever_ ask," the Cazar smiled sadly, knowing that her friend's pride would always get the better of her when truly stung. Then she noticed something,

"Sky, you're bleeding!" The Lombax looked down at her arm and realised she was right. Blood was slowly seeping from a wound running from her shoulder to just above the elbow.

"Oh, I didn't notice that," she lifted her arm to inspect the wound, "it's only a cut," she commented. Maia gave her a look,

"A cut? He's gashed your arm open! You need to see Professor Xavier."

"I'll go in a moment, it's not that bad..."

"No, Sky, you're going now," her friend's voice dropped to a tone that Skyla knew well. It was a _'I'm very angry at you so do as I say right now...or else'_, tone. Suppressing the urge to roll her eyes, the Lombax nodded,

"Alright, I'm going."

"I'll cover for you," the Cazar swiping the can from her friend's grasp before she could react, then she lightly pushed her friend in the back.

"Thanks, Maia," Skyla nodded gratefully, accepting defeat. Her friend's eyes sparkled softly and she nodded,

"Off you go." The young Lombax smiled to herself and left the chamber.

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><p>The facility was quite large and if you didn't know where you were going, you could easily get lost. But Skyla had been here ever since she'd been 'sold' and knew the place like the back of her hand. The hydroponics chamber, where she'd just come from, was by far the largest room in the complex, several hundred metres in width and even longer in length. It boasted the largest collection of exotic, rare plants in the galaxy, thought not many knew of it. Baen, or the Collector as he was called by the workers (or Boss by the guards), like to keep his treasures a secret.<p>

And it wasn't just plants he kept; he had another room, a little smaller than the chamber, which was practically a museum of artefacts you wouldn't find anywhere else in the galaxy, or universe. On top of this, there was also a mini complex within the facility that was designated 'The Zoo' where a variety of singular, striking creatures could be found in lavish cages. Living out their lives behind bars, they were the last of their species, ranging from the dangerously rare Aquatos Sea Tiger to the now-extinct Hoven Striped Flamingo. And obviously, there was Skyla. Baen often referred to her as his 'crown jewel' of rarities. Not only was she the last of her kind, but she knew it. The other creatures knew nothing of their status in the galaxy, but Skyla was reminded on a regular basis that she was alone and her species doomed to destruction. She tried not to think about it.

Of course, Baen was incredibly wealthy to afford all of his 'items', and he was getting wealthier. Not only did he sell some of the products of the rare plants and creatures he kept (for a hefty price), but he ran his own genetics company. He had been lucky enough to discover that the Floranian Swamp Worms held a unique fluid in their heart sack. This fluid could be purified and sold as a most effective acid, capable of burning through anything of an inorganic nature. He'd immediately set up this facility in the heart of one of Florana's largest forests and brought in a team of scientists to supervise the production of the fluid. He got them to genetically modify the worms to produce more of the fluid and then cloned them. They then grew them into foetuses and once they'd reached a certain age, they were tagged and released in to the wild to be hunted down and harvested when they reached adult size. This all happened in the lab, where Skyla was heading at the moment. After the hydroponics chamber it was the largest room, which was no surprise considering it harboured so many baby swamp worms of all shapes and sizes.

A guard stood by the main entrance, lazily polishing his sword. The Lombax stopped in front of him, hand clutching her arm to slow the bleeding. The creature looked up lazily,

"Gotta pass?" Skyla rolled her eyes,

"I'm kind of bleeding, Grignak. I need to see Xavier."

"No pass, no entry...unless you get checked," the Reaper told her absently. The girl clucked her tongue in annoyance,

"I don't have time for that. I just came from the hydroponics chamber, how could I have smuggled anything out of there and why would I be trying to smuggle it into the lab? C'mon, Grignak, five minutes." The gorilla-hedgehog-crocodile alien looked at her with a scrutinising gaze,

"Fine, but I'm checking when you come out."

"Whatever, tough guy," Skyla muttered as he swiped his pass and let her through.

Entering the lab she was immediately enveloped by the smell of chemicals mixed with the acutely swampy smell of the incubation pods. Several Peluchians were scattered about, examining things under microscopes and experimenting with various substances. Skyla approached the nearby table where a small Peluchian in a grubby lab coat was adding a mysterious green liquid to a purple, smooth looking rock.

"Cornelius," the creature jumped and the liquid splashed over the rock, causing it to fizz violently and start to bubble.

"Oh, Sky, hey..." Cornelius quickly grabbed a nearby container and plonked it over the bubbling mass. Skyla smiled,

"Experimenting with amoeboid DNA again, are we?"

"What? Er-no, of course not," the scientist was quick to decline but Skyla saw right through him.

"Don't worry, I promise I won't tell. Where's Xavier?"

"He's over by the pool, and thanks," Cornelius told her sheepishly. She winked at him,

"Just be careful." Moving away from the scientist and his rapidly mutating experiment, she made a bee line for the pool.

As informed, an older looking Peluchian stood beside the large tank that took up a whole corner of the room. It was filled with baby swamp worms that swam about in the murky waters, their tentacles flapping happily against the artificial current. The scientist held a clipboard which he seemed to be ticking things off on. He too had a lab coat on, though it was a lot cleaner than Cornelius'. Shaggy ginger hair and a ragged beard told anyone he didn't care for appearances. At the moment, his small black eyes were narrowed in concentration.

Skyla stood by the tank, watching the creatures. In a way, she envied them. They may be clones and bred in captivity, but at least they'd be free, if only until they were fully grown. But that was more freedom then it looked like she'd ever have. The Peluchian finally noticed her,

"Sky! Sorry, didn't see you there. How are you?"

"Ok, thanks, Xavier. Yourself?"

"Can't complain, just counting another batch that are due to be released in a couple of days..." he put his clipboard under his arm and began walking away. Skyla followed.

"What can I do for you, then?" he asked as he reached a computer station and began filling in a table of data.

"Well, I've kind of cut my arm," the girl explained vaguely.

"Oh?" Xavier said distractedly, then looked at her. His eyes widened,

"A cut? You've gashed your arm open!" he exclaimed.

"That's what Maia said...have you got anything for it?"

"Yes, of course...let me see." The scientist began rummaging amongst the various bottles on the desk beside him, "another fight, I presume?"

"Yeah."

"What was it this time?"

"Just Taktar, being his usual self."

"You can ignore him, you know. Save yourself a whole lot of trouble."

"I know." Xavier found what he was looking for and picked up a vial containing a dark blue paste. Flicking the cap off he shook a bit onto his fingers,

"This is a new formula I created last week. It's an antiseptic and anaesthetic in one. It also cleans the wound. Great for when you're in the wild and there's no clean water available." As he spoke, he rubbed the paste onto Skyla's arm which she held out dutifully.

"Will it go anywhere?" she enquired.

"Probably not. I'll just keep it here and use it every now and again. Right, all done. How does it feel?" Skyla inspected her arm that was now quite blue looking, though the colour didn't show up so much against her dark fur.

"It feels fine. Thanks, Xavier."

"You're welcome. Now stay out of trouble! I don't want to see you in here for another week at least, alright?"

"What, so no friendly visits?" the Lombax countered cheekily.

"You know what I mean," grumbled the Peluchian, "now shoo." Skyla gave a small laugh and made to leave the lab. As she passed Cornelius' table she saw him on the floor, wrestling with the mutated green/purple-rock-thing that clung like a limpet to his face. Sighing, Skyla went over to him and wrenched the thing off him. Looking around for a suitable container she shoved it into a large vial and put a stopper on it.

The Peluchian got up, dusting his coat down,

"Thanks, Sky." The Lombax gave him a mock glare,

"What did I say to you about being careful?" The small scientist looked a little embarrassed,

"I'm sorry," he mumbled. Skyla clapped a hand on his shoulder,

"Maybe go for something a little less adventurous next time. I won't always be here to save you from your own monsters."

"Alright, I promise," Cornelius nodded obediently as he spoke.

"Good lad, see you around." Skyla left him to it and left the lab, waving at one of the other scientists as she did (a female Peluchian with blond hair) who returned the gesture.

As soon as she left, she was pounced on. Rolling her eyes, she stood in a star position as Grignak ran his scanner over her.

"What you done to your arm?" he muttered thickly.

"I got it cut...in a fight."

"Who with?"

"Taktar." The Reaper grunted in amusement,

"He's a right pain, that one." Skyla smiled,

"That he is." The search complete, the Reaper let her go with a lazy wave of his hand.

The Lombax made her way back to the hydroponics chamber where she relieved her Cazar friend of the watering can. After a few minutes of quiet (designed to remind Skyla that Maia was still annoyed at her for the fight), the two friends came to a silent, mutual agreement not to mention what had passed, and began chatting softly together, the past (temporarily) forgotten.

**Note – A Peluchian is the name I have given to the small, teddy-bear like species who are usually portrayed as scientists or engineers. For example, Fred the engineer is a Peluchian.**


	3. The Last Lombax

A whole month passed before Skyla got into another fight. She'd been doing so well, ignoring all the irritating comments from the guards and avoiding Taktar and his friends as much as possible. She did her best, for Maia's sake, but deep down, she knew it couldn't last.

The day she snapped was just like any other day. She was in the middle of her chores, feeding the Rilgarian Lesser-Spotted Bat, when Taktar cornered her.

"You've been avoiding me," he muttered, leaning against the cage wall. Skyla glanced around the complex. There was no-one else around and the nearest guard was outside the main doors. She couldn't stay; it was too risky, knowing her...and him. Squaring her shoulders, she shoved past him and made to leave. His reptilian arm shot out and blocked her path,

"I didn't say you could leave." Scowling, Skyla turned to look at him. She had to look up by a fair amount, as he was at least a foot and a half taller than her,

"I don't need your permission for anything...and yes, I have been avoiding you, for good reason." The Snivelakian smirked,

"Why? You scared?" Knowing exactly what he was up to, Skyla refused to rise to the bait. Taking a breath to control her rising irritation, she tried to duck under his arm. Something grabbed the back of her shirt and pulled her back, and she suddenly found herself backed up against the cage wall, with the reptile bearing down on her.

"I still didn't say you could leave," he growled softly. Swallowing a harsh reply she looked up at him with steel in her eyes,

"I'm not scared of you, Taktar." The guard only moved closer, cutting off her escaped routes.

"Oh really?" he murmured, "are you sure about that?" His breath hit her nostrils and her nose wrinkled at the awful smell,

"Geez, Taktar, haven't you heard of toothpaste?" His hands slammed either side of her head in response, making the cage walls vibrate,

"Don't play games with me, Lombax."

"I'm not playing games, I was asking a valid question," Skyla countered, "your breath reeks."

"I'd watch your tongue if I were you.'Cos I am this close to ripping it from your mouth," the reptile threatened menacingly. Skyla swallowed instinctively but drew herself upright as best she could in the confined space, determined not to let him win by pure intimidation.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you. Baen wouldn't look too kindly on you mutilating his '_possesions_'," she spat out the word, but was being truthful. On Baen's orders, she was to be kept in (near) perfect condition at all times. No matter what she did wrong, physical punishments never included scars. Baen was ever so careful never to 'damage beyond repair', as he put it. That didn't make the punishment any less painful, simply less visible.

Ripping her tongue out would definitely qualify as irreversible damage.

"Maybe not your tongue then, maybe I'll just beat your hide like last time," Taktar sneered.

"You didn't beat me," she snapped, "Drako intervened before I could take you down." He chuckled cruelly,

"You could never take me down."

"Oh yeah? What about the time in the mess hall? Do they still tease you about that Blargian Soup?" she goaded him, taking her turn to injure pride. The guard's eyes flashed dangerously and it was clear he knew exactly what she was referring to,

"That was an accident," he hissed. Skyla only smirked,

"Sure it was, you're just too scared and to admit I _did_ beat you."

"I swear, if you don't shut up right now I'll..."

"You'll what?" Skyla interrupted in a harsh, mocking tone, "Attack a creature half your size...again? Face it, Taktar, you're nothing but a pathetic, spineless coward." All at once, she found herself pinned against the cage wall by his hand around her neck.

For a moment, the two creatures simply regarded each other, hate ablaze in their eyes; flaming orange against searing hot blue.

"Go on then...hit me. You c-coward," Skyla's voice was a little strangled as his fist tightened around her neck, cutting off her oxygen as he began to crush her throat. Taktar's eyes were narrowed to slits and it looked like he might not let go until his victim was unconscious, or worse. Then, an idea came to him.

He abruptly dropped her and she fell to the floor, landing on her bum with a painful thump. Wincing in pain, Skyla massage her throat to regain her ability to breathe, scowling up at the reptile. He scrutinised her for a minute as if mulling something over, then shook his head,

"That's incredibly rich, coming from a Lombax," he commented, a new line of attack forming in his head, one that would reap better, more pleasing results...

Skyla's brow furrowed in confusion,

"What?" The reptile looked at her,

"Calling _me _a coward? _I'm_ not the coward."

"What are you saying?" Skyla asked slowly, her eyes narrowing in suspicion. He gave her a look of mock surprise,

"What, you mean no-one told you?"

"Stop playing games, Taktar," she growled violently, unknowingly echoing the reptiles former words as she struggled to get upright. Once on her feet again she glared at him. A small smile playing about his lips the reptile bent down a little so his face was level with her own.

"You don't know how the Lombaxes became extinct?" he asked incredulously. Skyla simply looked at him blankly. When she'd ventured to ask Maia about the lack of Lombaxes she was told that no-one really knew what had happened, but that the Lombaxes were nowhere to be found in the universe anymore. Although she had suspected her friend of hiding some of the truth, Skyla had simply accepted this fact and dropped the subject. The Lombaxes were gone, and she was alone. That's all she needed to know. Noting the look of confusion on the girl's face Taktar smiled with mean-spirited sympathy.

"There, there, there's no need to be confused," he patted her shoulder none too gently in a patronising manner. "It's ok if you don't know what _really _happened..." he went on, "in fact, it's probably better." Skyla looked at him with conflicted uncertainty,

"What happened?" she murmured, her curiosity getting the better of her, even if her mind was screaming at her not to listen and to get away from him.

"Oh, I'm sure I'm not the person to ask...surely your Cazar friend told you?"

"Tell me," the Lombax growled, the atmosphere tensing around her like a stretched rubber band.

"Well, if you insist," he paused for effect, savouring the deliciousness of the situation, why hadn't he thought of this sooner? "They ran away," he said bluntly. Skyla blinked.

"What?"

"They ran away," the reptile repeated, thoroughly enjoying the look of shock on the young female's face. She'd had this coming for _years_. "They were faced with a single enemy, and they fled. They _ran away._" Skyla shook her head in disbelief,

"No, you're lying. Lombaxes would never run away, not from anyone or anything."

"But they did," Taktar sneered, "and they left you behind." She looked at him sharply at this, her eyes flaring up briefly, but he continued before she could reply, "so you see? I'm not the one who's a coward. It's your own extinct race who are the cowards. All of the Lombaxes who fled...pathetic, spineless, cowards."

Skyla's whole body began to shake as anger began to take ahold of her,

"You're lying," she whispered, her voice wavering with brittle emotion. Taktar only laughed, too blinded by his brutal mirth and delight at her ignorance to see the thunder building. The Lombax's head snapped up, her ears flat against her skull and her fists clenched, with eyes overflowing with anger and hate and pure, unbridled rage. "YOU'RE _LYING,_" she screamed, and attacked.

If the guard outside hadn't heard the commotion, it is unclear how far the two creatures would have damaged each other. Certainly, when they were wrenched apart by several guards, both were bleeding from various cuts and gashes and Skyla's uniform was once again torn in a number of places. Thankfully, Taktar hadn't drawn his blade on the Lombax so the cuts and gashes were caused by claws only.

Still, Drako wasn't happy.

"You idiots!" he shouted at them as they were held back by guards, both panting heavily from exertion.

"What were you thinking? I thought I told you _no more fighting_ and look at you! Why didn't you listen to me? Fools, do you know what this means? Now I have to punish both of you, and Baen will have to be informed and gods know what he'll want to do to you..."

"He already has been informed," came a smooth voice and they all looked up to see the calm Novalian striding confidently towards them. The guards and Drako bowed their heads respectfully,

"Sir," the Head of Security began, "I wasn't aware of your presence, I am sorry about this." The blue skinned man waved his hand in a lazy, dismissive gesture.

"Save you apologies. Now...what happened here?" he turned his gaze upon Skyla who shuddered in spite of herself. His eyes contained such ruthless brutality that they seemed like a black hole, sucking all the good from the galaxy into their icy depths.

Biting her tongue, Skyla refused to answer, but held his gaze unwaveringly. The ghost of a smile played about the Novalian's lips at her defiance and he turned on Taktar,

"You, tell me what happened." The Snivelakian swallowed before replying,

"We had a fight, boss," he answered, looking at the floor, afraid to meet the void-like eyes.

"Why?" Baen's voice slipped and slided like a snake into the ears of those present, ringing in their heads like a dull bell.

"We...I..." the reptile trailed off miserably. Baen raised an eyebrow and looked enquiringly at Skyla, his eyes demanding an answer. The Lombax stared back, shooting daggers with her eyes, before replying.

"I attacked him," she said in the strongest voice she could muster.

"Why?"

"He provoked me."

"How?" There was a pause.

"He lied to me," she murmured softly, glaring at Taktar. Baen registered hurt, anger, fear and confusion all in her eyes. He could hardly stop from smiling.

"How so?"

"He can tell you."

"No, you tell me."

The girl's mouth clamped shut stubbornly and Baen smirked.

"Very well," he then addressed Drako, "when is the next hunting party due to go out?"

"Tomorrow morning, sir," the Head of Security replied, his stomach clenched with dread. Baen nodded,

"Excellent. Have this guard assigned to the group as a front-runner." Taktar gave a small whimper of fear and Drako glanced at him quickly. He looked like he was about to be sick. He didn't blame him. It was a harsh punishment for so commonplace a crime, but he knew better than to argue with the Novalian so gave a stiff, short nod,

"Yes, sir."

"Dismissed. Bring her to my quarters and send for Professor Xavier."

In vain, Skyla struggled against the guards as they dragged her after Baen as they left the complex. Taktar was taken in another direction but their eyes met briefly and Skyla wondered if the fear in his eyes should make her pity him. She decided against it. Being assigned to the hunting party as front-runner was bad...but not bad enough to make her pity him. Instead, she focused on what lay before her.

Knowing it was useless to struggle; she shook the guards off and walked on her own, head held high. She passed a few other slaves who looked at her incredulously. No doubt she looked a state with her torn clothes, bloody fur and messed up hair. One of the slaves was Jaymz and he gave her a shocked, disbelieving look that said '_what have you done now?_' Unable to communicate effectively she mustered a smile back at him, trying to convey that everything was alright. He didn't look convinced.

All too soon, they'd taken the holo-lift up to the private quarters, where Baen and any guests of his stayed. His own quarters were reasonably large and expensively decorated, echoing his ego and tastes. There was a main room, and several other doors leading off into various other rooms that presumably led to his bedroom, bathroom and the like. In the main room there was a lush sofa with a massive TV screen in front of it, equipped with sound systems and the full works for top cinematic/gaming experiences. There was also a bookshelf that covered part of the wall, and a variety of potted plants scattered about on side tables. A desk stood to the side with chairs either side, its surface clear with only a computer screen on the top. The whole place was ridiculously tidy and felt like it had never been lived in, and was just there for show.

The Novalian sent away the guards, leaving them alone. Without a word, he gestured for her to sit in the chair opposite the desk. Skyla didn't move as he fetched two glasses from a dispenser in the wall. He took a seat opposite her and pushed one of them towards her.

"Sit," he said in a cool voice that demanded obedience. Slowly, Skyla took a seat. The chair looked expensive, and she was bleeding, so if he wanted blood all over it, then she'd be happy to oblige. But she left the glass where it was. It was a clear liquid, and looked harmless, but she knew better than to judge by appearances.

"Are you going to tell me what happened?" he enquired, his voice like ice sliding down her back. Skyla gazed back, her expression calm but her heart thudding rapidly.

"I attacked him," she said simply, holding her voice steady.

"Why?"

"He provoked me."

"How?" There was a moment of silence and Baen took a casual swig from his glass, swilling the liquid absently as he studied her with his keen, dark eyes, "what did he say?"

"Nothing," she replied quickly, then winced. What an obvious lie...

"Nothing?" Baen arched an eyebrow, "Forgive me if I don't believe you. If he had said nothing you would not be sitting before me with blood running down your face." Skyla raised a hand and touched her cheek. It came away wet and sticky with blood. With an irritated sigh she pushed the hair that had matted on her forehead to the side. Baen's mouth curled into a sly smile,

"What did he say?" he repeated.

"Things that made me lose my temper," Skyla answered vaguely.

"Like what?"

"Things," the Lombax replied. She was trying to get away with minimum details, not wanting to have to explain herself to him. But he was having none of it.

"I'll have to ask you to be more specific, my dear. What, exactly, did he say that sent you into a fit of rage?" Baen asked lightly, but there was a warning in his eyes. A warning she knew well not to ignore. Skyla looked down,

"He said that Lombaxes were cowards because they had run away," she muttered lowly, but the Novalian heard. He suppressed a chuckle or dark mirth, instead clearing his throat softly,

"I see," he murmured.

"Is it true?" she blurted before she could stop herself, then instantly regretted her words. "Tell me it isn't true," she attempted to correct herself, but her voice betrayed her by shaking a little with emotion. Her thoughts were divided. Half of her wanted to believe that Taktar had been lying about everything, but at the same time, she'd seen the glee in his eyes that told her he had been telling the truth. Baen looked at her solidly,

"It is indeed true." Skyla's ears slumped against her skull and her head bowed slightly, as if under some great weight.

"What happened?" she mumbled quietly. Baen set his glass down and leaned back in his chair, placing his elbows on the arms and putting his finger tips to his chin. Skyla was struck once again by how handsome he was. A strong, muscular figure with striking features and sleek long hair, he could be any females fantasy...were it not for the utter lack of life in his unforgiving eyes. Shoving the thought from her mind she focused on holding his gaze, determined not to break down in front of him.

"The Lombaxes were faced with an enemy who threatened to exterminate all of their kind. So they fled, into another dimension, as the story goes."

"Lombaxes never run from their enemies," Skyla scoffed, but in it there was a hint of half-heartedness. Baen raised an eyebrow at her mockingly,

"And you would know?" Skyla flushed and scowled,

"The Lombaxes were a highly intellectual race with technology unlike any other," she answered, repeating what Maia had told her a while back, "why would they flee before an enemy when they could have easily defeated them?"

"My dear, you are making some terrific assumptions," Baen chastised her like a child, "yes, the Lombaxes were advanced and adept with technology. They were even clever enough to escape into another dimension. So we can only assume that the enemy they faced posed either the utmost threat to them...or they simply ran out of fear." Skyla frowned heavily at this. She could tell he was being honest, but brutally so. How was she to know if the Lombaxes had fled as a first or last resort? She only hoped it had been the latter, but she'd never know. Something he had said snagged in her mind,

"Another dimension?" she asked sceptically.

"Apparently. Needless to say, no-one has seen a Lombax since. Well, very, very few," his eyes glinted at her and her own blue ones narrowed. If he was telling the truth and the Lombaxes had fled...into another dimension, could that then mean they might still be alive...?

"No doubt you are wondering if the Lombaxes are still alive, but in another universe," Baen interrupted her thoughts, as if reading them, "that is, of course, a possibility." Skyla's heart fluttered slightly at his words. "But of course, it is impossible for them to return, even if they did survive the path between dimensions."

"Why?" Skyla asked, her voice with a small mewling tone that was streaked with pain.

"Because all of their technology was destroyed when they left. Their journey to the other dimension was a one way ticket. They will never return," Baen watched as the brief glimmer of hope died in the young Lombax's eyes. Skyla thought for a minute, clutching at straws,

"But what if they found another way? They took their technology with them presumably, surely they could create another path home..."

"Dear girl, there are not just two dimensions – ours and theirs. Oh no, there are hundreds, thousands of dimensions. If they, or we, succeeded in making another passageway, between two dimensions, the odds of linking up theirs and ours are astronomical. It's impossible."

"Some might have stayed behind..." Skyla muttered feebly, the fight fading in her as she realised how badly she was losing.

"If that was the case then they would have revealed themselves to the galaxy by now," Baen countered dismissively, then leaned forward before she could answer, "think about it, do you really think I would have paid a million bolts for you if I thought there might still be Lombaxes out there?" Skyla looked at him in a slight daze as he shook his head, "We will never see the Lombax species again, not in this universe."

Baen's words were like a knife in Skyla's back. She'd always been told she was the last of her kind, enough creatures had said it to make it true. But it had never really sunk in. Secretly, she'd always had her doubts, and hopes. That maybe, somehow, they were all wrong and, somewhere, there'd be another Lombax. That's why she'd never asked in depth questions about her kind. She was too fearful of the truth, content to maintain her dreams in her own bubble of ignorance. But now, the bubble had been burst and she was confronted with the truth. The cruel, painful truth. The Lombaxes had run away. They were gone. When she died, that would be it. No more Lombaxes. Ever.

Baen nudged the glass towards her again,

"Drink up." Almost mechanically, Skyla raised the glass to her lips and downed it in one, barely registering that it was just water.

At that moment, the door buzzed but Skyla hardly noticed as Baen called for entry. Professor Xavier hurried into the room, carrying several vials of multicoloured pastes as well as some bandages.

"Oh Sky...you silly child," the little Peluchian reprimanded her gently. Turning the chair to face him he examined her face and ran his eyes over her injuries.

"We've just had a little chat, Professor, and she's in a state of slight shock, but she'll be alright. You may go when you're done." Baen got up and went into one of the other rooms.

Xavier scolded Skyla quietly as he worked, cleaning her wounds with one ointment, treating them with another and wrapping them in bandages. The Lombax made no sound throughout the procedure, remaining in her dazed state, not even reacting to his touch. When Xavier finished, he capped all of the vials and tucked them away into his pockets.

"Right, that's you all patched up. We best get you home." Skyla looked up at him and only then did he see the tears that glistened in her eyes.

"I'll never go home, Xavier. I'll never _have_ a home," she murmured, her voice wavering a little. Xavier looked at her in surprise before placing a comforting hand on her uninjured arm,

"This is your home, Sky."

"No. It isn't, this isn't my home, it's my prison," the young Lombax spat bitterly, eyes flaring with anger and unimaginable pain.

"I wasn't talking about the facility, Sky," the scientist answered her honestly, "this is your home because it is where you are loved." Skyla's brow knotted together in mild puzzlement, as if she didn't quite understand. Xavier looked at the confused creature before him and his heart when out to the tormented soul.

"Sky..." he began but she cut across him.

"They're not coming back," she whispered, head bowed once again. Xavier blinked, a little bewildered,

"Who?"

"The Lombaxes. They'll never come back. I'm alone," she clarified hauntingly. The Professor shook his head to himself, what had Baen been telling her now...? He'd presumably told her what had happened to the Lombaxes, though knowing him he wouldn't have lightened the blow in any way. It would have hurt the young Lombax. Hurt a lot, by the looks of it.

"They may never return," he chose his words carefully, 'but that does not mean you are alone and cannot have a home. You are surrounded by those who love you and care for you, Sky. And the loved are never lonely." She raised her head, a glimmer of life visible in the depths of despair contained within her eyes. Xavier smiled encouragingly, willing his words to get through to the young female,

"You're not alone."


	4. Of Slavery and Punishments

Skyla didn't even dare hope that Baen would just forget about the fight with Taktar and let her go unpunished. No, he would never do that.

It was so easy to underestimate the Novalian. Many slaves, when they first arrived, struggled to comprehend how someone like him could have ended up running a facility like this, with slaves and guards and more rare possessions than any museum in the galaxy. Not a lot was known about him, either, so this added to the mystery regarding his identity.

He had rich tastes, that much was clear, and he positively exuded arrogance. But it was a cold, steel-like arrogance that few understood. More than one person had looked at him and seen a rich aristocrat, overflowing with self worth and looking down his nose at everyone, someone who needed to be taken down a peg or two. But woe betide anyone who tried to bring him down, whether with harsh words or mocking comments. Those creatures never lasted long.

He was strikingly handsome, but didn't seem at all interested in using his looks to exert control over females (or males, for that matter). In fact, no-one had ever seen him with a lady of any kind; he was the 'eternal-bachelor' type. Indeed, it gave him more time for his work, ensuring everything was carried out to perfection and dealing with buyers of all shapes and sizes. Professionally, he was known as 'The Collector' because of his love of rare things. And he always got what he wanted, one way or another. Always.

Those who didn't know him well, mostly those who didn't reside in the facility, didn't know quite what to make of him...but never asked questions. His facility was top secret. Though his business with the swamp worms wasn't technically illegal, he hadn't gotten permission before setting it up. And the fact that he kept slaves and harboured so many rare forms of life (some products of which were sold highly illegally) meant that he kept a low profile were the government was concerned. His buyers were a mixture of rich businessmen who skirted around the law for their own pleasures, all the way down the ladder to common smugglers who sold on his wares to other galaxies. Nearly all of his clients were on the wrong side of the law and in this line of work, the less you knew of those you dealt with, the better.

However, you didn't have to know Baen long to discover possibly his most alarming and terrifying trait – he placed no value on life. That is, life that wasn't in his 'possession', and even then, that was limited to his 'rarities'. It wasn't that he killed for fun, he simply did not care about the concept of life in other creatures. Life, death, it was all the same to him.

New slaves often encountered Baen's detached side early on in their life at the facility. They were all warned about him, when they first came to the facility, but few took the warnings seriously. It was when they made a mistake that they came to realise how right the warnings were.

Executions were a rarity at the facility, but not uncommon. Baen wasn't above killing the odd slave to set an example, but he rarely did that. And he didn't just kill them whenever they slipped up, it was a waste of resources and they cost money to replace. So he devised a solution that served as the universal punishment for any crime. If you made a mistake that was big enough to cause problems for either fellow slaves or the guards, you were sent on the hunting party.

The hunting parties consisted of Baen's toughest, most battle-hardened guards, filled to the brim with muscle and steel. They were tasked with tracking down the adult swamp worms and harvesting the fluid in their heart sack. The jungles of Florana were extremely dangerous so they always took plenty of gun power to ease the job. But even then, luck was not always kind and every now and again, a creature was caught out and met a most unfortunate end. Some of the time, it was the worms themselves who claimed the victims, but more often it was the Pool Sharks who went in for the kill. They normally preyed on the Nabla Natives and the occasional Cyclophic Monkey (when they were stupid enough to go swimming), but the two primates knew of the sharks and had developed fast reflexes and tended to avoid crossing the waters by swimming. So the sharks always took advantage of the opportunity presented by the hunting party. Unfortunately, members of the party couldn't swing through the trees like the monkeys and had to wade through the shallow water. That was where the 'accidents' happened.

When you were assigned to a party, you were given a grade. Tail-runners followed behind the group, central-runners were part of the group and front-runners went ahead of the group. All were considered dangerous, especially when in the water, but it was widely accepted that central-runners were the safest, then tail-runners (if they didn't fall too far behind) with front-runners considered most likely to get eaten. If you were a slave in the group, regardless of grade, you received no weapon whatsoever. Guards who managed to get themselves assigned to a party (which was rare, but not unheard of) were given a measly gun and small dagger, which was barely enough to take out a Floranian Blood Fly, let alone a fully grown shark or swamp worm.

Your grade was given by the severity of your mistake. A simple slip up while working might earn you a central-runner position if it was serious enough, but if the action had a greater impact on others the grade was increased. When the action was deliberate, say an attempted sabotage or the like, you were immediately assigned as a front-runner. If you returned alive from the trip, the case was dropped and you went on with your work. If you didn't return...

Nevertheless, it was an extremely effective punishment as well as a deterrent and the majority of slaves only needed one trip as a central-runner to ensure they'd never make another mistake. Whenever one of Baen's business associates took a tour of the facility, they never failed to comment on how obedient the slaves were. The Novalian simply smiled and never replied.

Despite the hunting party threat that loomed over every slave, Skyla had never been on one. Baen valued her too much to send her out into the dangerous forest, and knew her too well to know that she'd cause trouble anywhere, without thought of the consequences. So he punished her in other ways for her wide variety of crimes, but they were never anything life threatening. Skyla was 'special'.

Other slaves often told her she was lucky she could get away with so much. But the reality was she didn't get away with anything. She was always, _always_ punished for misdeeds, in an imaginative array of penalties. And yet she was never deterred. Jaymz asked her every now and again why she didn't just give up and behave. She would always shrug in reply and mumble something along the lines of,

"Why should I? They make my life hell, I simply return the favour." The Rilgarian could only smile at her answer. Deep down he wished he had the freedom she did, because then he'd be able to cause as much trouble as she did, possibly more. But he'd already been on the hunting party 4 times, once as a central runner, twice as a tail runner and the most recent time, as a front runner. He'd survived the ordeal, but only just. He still had a scar from where the Pool Shark had taken a bite out of his leg. If Professor Xavier hadn't been a genius with a needle and possess an amazing number of medicinal ointments, he'd probably have died from blood loss. That had been several years ago and since then, he hadn't caused trouble. He figured he was more use to others in a healthy condition, no sense in throwing away your life for nothing, though he still envied Skyla's freedom.

Skyla, however, didn't have that problem and caused trouble left, right and centre. She insulted the guards, attacked them (sometimes without provocation), sabotaged work instruments, and anything else she could think of. As she'd grown older, her attacks had been more calculated and less wild, but still frequent. And she'd never given up on trying to escape.

Once, in her early teenage years, she'd made possibly her wildest escape attempt. It involved setting all the animals in the complex free (with the exception of the more dangerous ones) and endeavouring to escape in the confusion. It had been a good plan as she'd carried it out in the evening, when everyone was having supper, and the pandemonium that had followed allowed her to slip away. But alas, she was caught. Baen hadn't been impressed. Her stunt had resulted in several of his possessions eating each other, leaving Skyla responsible for the total extinction of the Kerwaian Joo-Joo Beetle and the Pokitaru Green Sea Slug. The serious crime called for a serious punishment, in Baen's eyes. So he had her injected with the purified venom of a Sarathos Hooded Viper.

When used under normal circumstances, the venom was a simple neurotoxin that disorientated the viper's prey, enabling the snake to strike and kill. The toxin did this by enhancing the senses of the victim so it couldn't see, hear or smell the snake properly, so it couldn't escape. But it was only enough to disorientate a small mammal. However, in its purified form, the venom could be much worse. It amplified a creature's senses to an alarmingly high level. Every smell, sound, taste, touch, even sight was increased tenfold to the extent that the sufferer was in agony at the slightest movement or sound.

When Baen injected Skyla with the venom, she was instantly overwhelmed by everything. Smells clogged her nostrils, threatening to suffocate her. Sounds blared in her ears like a siren. Food tasted sickeningly sweet or sour in her mouth. Colours sprang out at her, almost blinding her with their intensity. Even things she touched felt all wrong, like they were too smooth or too rough. She couldn't even sit or stand without her body crying out in pain. The guards made her life all the more miserable, making loud noises every time she passed by, or knocking her and watching her reel. But she refused to beg for the antidote, her stubborn pride fuelled by the need to prove herself as a young, tough teenager.

For a whole week she had gone about in that state, throwing up several times a day as she couldn't keep down her food. Eventually, Baen had been forced to give her the antidote as she nearly died of internal bleeding in the ears and nose. He hadn't given the toxin to her since but it had been eleven months before she tried to escape again.

Aside from this punishment, she'd been burned, frozen, whipped, beaten, half drowned in an assortment of substances, and forced to consume disgusting foods that made her ill for days.

And yet she never gave up, refusing at any time to beg for mercy or release. Maia called it stubbornness, but they both knew it was more than that. It was a message – Lombaxes could take anything.

* * *

><p>When Skyla was summoned the day after her fight with Taktar, she knew it wouldn't be pleasant as a Reaper escorted her to the lab. The lab was where all the nasty punishments took place as it housed all the chemicals and solutions. There, she found Baen waiting with another guard and an upset looking Xavier. Skyla studied the scientist's expression, trying to gauge how severe the ordeal would be. He looked miserable. That wasn't a good sign. The Novalian smiled at her,<p>

"Thank you for joining us." His words sounded like for all the world he was welcoming her to a tea party, not a presumable painful ordeal. Skyla's eyes narrowed,

"Get on with it, Baen, I have work to do," she answered curtly, not in the mood for his games. Baen's eyes sparkled dangerously and Xavier gave a little sigh, shaking his head slightly.

"Do not take that tone with me, and this will only take a minute," Baen informed her coldly, his voice sweet and honeyed. He gestured towards the Professor and the Peluchian came forward holding a large syringe fill with what appeared to be small round balls. Skyla rolled her eyes,

"Another injection? What is it with you and needles?" The Novalian made no reply but indicated for the scientist to proceed.

"These are Veldinian Blood Wasp eggs," Xavier explained, "they'll be injected into your leg and remain there for seven days while they mature and then hatch." The Lombax looked at Baen,

"That is so _sick!_" she exclaimed in disgust, but obediently stuck out a leg for the Professor. He immediately knelt down and began rolling up her trouser leg. No-one said anything as the Peluchian inserted the fat needle into her calf and began gently applying pressure to the syringe so that eggs entered her leg one by one. Skyla didn't make a sound as she felt the objects embed themselves in between muscle and bone, instead glaring fiercely at Baen who didn't meet her gaze.

When a third of the eggs had entered her leg, Xavier stopped.

"Keep going, Professor," Baen murmured softly. The Peluchian's face spasmed slightly with pain and he looked up at Skyla with a distressed look. She smiled encouragingly at him and, bowing his head, he continued.

When Skyla had first arrived Xavier had refused to inflict anything on her. But after a trip on the hunting party he was visibly shaken. No doubt seeing his creations fully grown and hungry for blood had rattled his nerves. But he still hated having to mete out the punishments onto Skyla, who he had cared for deeply even as a new arrival. With this in mind, the Lombax had taken him aside in the early days and talked things through with him. She'd asked him not to refuse Baen again, as she knew what that would lead to. Although he'd been extremely reluctant at first, he'd soon given in when she pointed out that if he didn't carry out the order, someone else would. At least with him she'd know who she was dealing with and that they meant no harm.

Rather than push them apart, this agreement pulled them closer together in friendship as both were held against their will. When Skyla wasn't undergoing a punishment, she knew she could always rely on Xavier to advise her and provide a second opinion (the first coming from Maia, though the two nearly always ran along the same length). In a way, Xavier was like an uncle to her, and Maia an older sister. Skyla had no memory of her own family.

Once all the eggs had been implanted, the Peluchian drew back, looked utterly wretched. Skyla rolled down her trouser leg, ignoring the large lump that now stood out underneath the material. Baen nodded with satisfaction.

"You will report to Professor Xavier once a day for updates on their progress, and you will inform him of all symptoms you encounter. I don't think I need to tell you that if you try and remove the eggs or tamper with them in any way, the consequences will be severe. Any questions?" Skyla looked up at him, eyes ablaze with anger,

"Got to hell...please," she spat and he raised an eyebrow. Her mouth clamped shut and she bit back another retort. Baen gave a small, cruel smirk and then waved his hand dismissively,

"Get out of my sight."

* * *

><p>As the days went by the implantation of wasp eggs rapidly climbed Skyla's list of most unpleasant punishments. Her leg swelled alarmingly ever hour after the injection until it was three times its normal size. Every time she moved she felt the eggs rubbing against each other inside her. It wasn't pleasant. But worse was to come.<p>

The day after the injection, she came into first contact with the true nastiness of the eggs. As she was showering that morning, she'd suddenly felt unbearably hot and began sweating profusely. The hot water hadn't helped so she turned it down to a cooler temperature in the effort to bring her own temperature down with it. It did. As the water washed over her skin her body temperature had plummeted so she now shivered violently with cold. Turning the water up again hadn't made any difference.

Confused and shuddering she got out, dripping wet and dried herself quickly. Once redressed she left the community bathroom, hugging her arms about her. Maia had immediately noticed her quivering body and distinct blue tinge. Abandoning her breakfast, the Cazar rushed her friend to the lab where Xavier met them with a grim look.

"I'm so sorry, Sky, that's what they do. The eggs release chemicals that will increase or decrease your body temperature at random. It's to do with the gender of the larva, and though it isn't life threatening, it's not at all nice. There's nothing I can do, I'm afraid".

Maia had been furious, but there was little she could do either. She tried to order Skyla back to bed but the Lombax knew she couldn't do that, Baen expected her to work no matter what her condition, and going back to bed would be a sign of weakness. A contest of stubborn will had taken place between the two friends, but eventually Maia had to relent. But she insisted on carrying blankets around with her all day, putting them on Skyla when she got cold and taking them off when she got hot.

This went on all week, with the temperature changes becoming more extreme and erratic with each passing day. Maia and Jaymz did everything they could to help their Lombax friend, keeping her away from bored guards and completing her chores when she couldn't herself. Xavier reported that the eggs were flourishing and would definitely be out in a week.

"But I must warn you, they will hatch under your skin and burrow their way out. The moment your leg starts to hurt, come to me and I'll get them out as quickly as I can. It will be very painful," he told her dejectedly. Skyla nodded, she expected no less from Baen.

The day they hatched she was in the artefacts room, polishing with Maia. She'd nearly dropped the priceless medallion (made from a crystal no longer found in the universe) as pain shot through her leg, causing it to buckle. Maia had caught her and replaced the medallion before hauling her away to the lab. Skyla refused to cry out as she felt the things moving under her skin, instead gritting her teeth.

When they reached the lab, Xavier had dropped what he was doing (quite literally as Cornelius had to catch the vial before it smashed) and rushed to help her. He gave her something to bite on and, opening up her leg, began extracting the newly hatched larva. He deposited them in a nearby bottle and Skyla saw for the first time what had been growing inside her. What came out could only be described as black, blood soaked maggots, about an inch in length and with visible jaws full of needle like teeth. When they were dropped in the bottle, they stopped wriggling and curled into spherical balls, lying still.

One by one they were removed until finally, Xavier pulled the last one out. Skyla was left with a large hole in a mutilated looking leg. A lesser creature would have fainted from the pain and blood loss but Skyla refused to acknowledge both. The scientist set about cleaning the wound and sewing the bloody gash together.

"Congratulations, my dear," they all turned to see Baen standing beside them. No-one had seen or heard him enter. He smiled at Skyla but it didn't reach his eyes, "you've just helped a near extinct species by incubating their young." Skyla's temper flared violently but she couldn't move from her position without dislodging the Professor's work.

"Remember when I told you to go to hell? I take it back. Hell's too good for you," she snarled. The Novalian's eyes came to life briefly with a glitter of mirth,

"Indeed."

Xavier finished the bandage he was wrapping and tied it off tightly,

"There we are. It should be alright in a few days...no scar," he added, glancing at Baen. The Collector never approved of scars on his possessions.

"Good. Now follow me," Baen addressed Skyla.

"Sir, her leg..." Xavier began to protest.

"It's alright Xavier, I'll be fine," Skyla assured him. Ignoring the gathering pool of anxiety in her stomach, the young Lombax began limping after the Novalian, Maia close behind. They left the lab together and Grignak didn't bother searching either of them. No-one in their right mind would try something under the Collector's nose. Baen walked ahead a few paces before turning back with a raised eyebrow. Skyla glanced at her Cazar friend,

"You go have lunch. I'll see you later." Maia glanced nervously from the Lombax to the Novalian. She squeezed Skyla's hand,

"Be careful..._please._" The pleading in her voice was not lost on her friend whose lips pursed, but she nodded obediently,

"I'll try," she answered. Knowing that Maia wouldn't move until she did, Skyla started to make her way towards Baen, doing her best to walk normally even though her injured leg protested with each step. He turned away as she approached, striding off towards the nearest holo-lift. Once there he called for it and waited for her to catch up before getting in. Skyla stood as far away from him as she could as the lift began to rise. Not a word was said when they reached their destination and the doors slid open. To Skyla's surprised, they weren't at Baen's quarters, but rather at the very top of the facility. Baen walked out and she followed, not entirely reluctantly as she'd only been on the roof twice before. It was a flat plateau in a rough rectangle shape, with railings to stop you falling off the edge. Of course, if someone decided to push you at the right angle, there was little you could do.

Most of the roof was actually made of thick glass as it formed the ceiling of the hydroponics chamber. This design meant that the maximum amount of light entered the chamber for the plants to soak up.

Baen moved over to the railings and leaned on them, a slight breeze playing about him and whipping his hair and clothes. Skyla stayed where she was on the roof and looked down. It felt weird seeing what was beneath your feet, and she felt like she was about to fall. All below her was a rainbow of colour from all the life present. Movement that resembled the scurrying of ants told her the workers were hard at work tending the various plants who had specific needs. At least 25 slaves worked in the chamber on a daily basis to look after all the plant-life. Skyla watched as she saw a Markazian climbing the Giant Bezebo Bamboo that grew over two metres per day and needed regular trimming. The Markazian was using her tail to balance herself on the thick boughs as she cut the smaller branches before attacking the main trunk. Skyla's hand wandered to her back. She wished she had a tail. She'd heard male Lombaxes had one, or had had one, but she guessed she'd never know. It'd be a great thing, though, to have a tail. The things you could do...

The sound of someone clearing their throat made her look up and she saw Baen looking at her, one eyebrow raised in a mock inquisitive gaze. Skyla's eyes narrowed slightly as she grudgingly moved over to the edge, remaining several feet from his position.

"Why have you brought me here?" she muttered from the corner of her mouth, forearms resting on railings, her hair waving gently in the wind. Baen looked out over the forest that stretched before them luxuriously, a never ending field of green.

"What do you see?" he asked. Skyla's brow furrowed,

"What do you mean?"

"What do you see?" he repeated. Skyla followed his gaze over the greenery. The height of the roof held them above the tree canopy line and Skreeducks could be seen flying some way in the distance.

"I see trees...a forest...freedom," she replied slowly, the last word leaving her lips with a somewhat wistful sigh. Baen chuckled lightly,

"I'll tell you what you see. You see _my_ trees, _my _forest..._my _freedom. The roof you are standing on belongs to me, the room below and every life in it belongs to me. This facility belongs to me."

"You don't own the forest," Skyla pointed out.

"On the contrary, I do. I own all the creatures that dwell in it...and if I wanted to I could kill them all and burn down every tree in sight. And who could stop me?"

"Let me see...the government?" Skyla muttered sarcastically.

"No, not even they could stop me, because I own it all," Baen confirmed with a small, secretive smile, "and when something I own breaks or malfunctions, I have it fixed, one way or another. And sometimes, the best way to fix a problem is to get rid of it. Nothing happens within these walls without me knowing of it, because if you don't know your own possessions, then what do you know?" Skyla rolled her eyes,

"Is there a reason for this lecture? It's a little tedious."

All of a sudden she found herself pinned up against the railing by her throat. Baen's eyes remained calm as he applied pressure, forcing her steadily back against the rail. Skyla gagged and struggled but his grip was like iron. He put his head close to her ear,

"I own _you_," he whispered viciously, making her ear twitch violently, "and if I wanted to, I could tip you over the side and end your pathetic life. I should do that, after all the trouble you've cause me over the years, the fights, the insults, the escape attempts. _You_ are my biggest problem...and I should kill you," he paused and his hand tightened. Skyla, who'd been trying to hold her breath, began to choke as her oxygen was completely cut off. She tried thrashing about but he held her in place with careless ease, her spine bending over the top rail like an arch. It felt like her neck was being slowly crushed in the grip of some great snake, the walls of her throat slowly buckling under the pressure. Spots began to dance before Skyla's eyes and his face swam in and out of view as she was bent further back. If he let go now, she would probably fall backwards and to the ground far below. But if he didn't let go, she would suffocate.

Then all of a sudden he yanked away from the railings and threw her to the ground where she landed with a thump. Skyla gritted her teeth to stop from yelling in pain and she lay on the ground gasping like a fish as she struggled to regain her breath. She turned onto her stomach, coughing violently as she gulped in air, her leg crying out in pain. Strong arms grabbed her shoulders and she was hauled upright like a lifeless doll. She fought against him but he was too strong and his hands closed like shackles around her wrists, drawing her up to face him. Skyla felt the breath freeze in her throat as she looked into the darkness of his eyes.

"But I won't kill you," he murmured, his voice like black velvet, "because if I did that, the Lombaxes would be truly extinct and I would lose my crown jewel," he ran a hand over her cheek in an almost caressing manner, and Skyla shuddered. "You are more valuable to me alive," he went on, "and it is for that reason I have not killed you. So I can only punish you when you act up...and that is too often. Why _do_ you do it?" Skyla swallowed, her self control being tested to the limit as she fought the urge to flee. His very presences made her stomach plummet and her heart fill with fear and dread, and their proximity was disturbingly close.

"Why do you think?" she muttered fiercely.

"Because you can," he answered, "and you like to cause trouble and don't care about the consequences, even if it means you suffer greatly." The Lombax mulled his words over for a minute, recognising the truth in them. But he'd missed something out.

"And because..." she began, then stopped abruptly. She shouldn't tell him that, it would only give him more ammunition against her.

"Because what?" Too late now. She looked him in the eye,

"Because I hope that some day...you will kill me," she answered, her voice wavering only slightly. Baen's mouth curled into a cruel smile that made the air around them seem to drop by several degrees.

"Ah, my dear, were you any other creature I would happily have granted your wish years ago. But you're not just any other creature, are you? You're the last Lombax. I will not kill you." Skyla bowed her head, eyes drooping closed. "Not yet, anyway," he added softly, his voice echoing like the call of a dark angel. Skyla felt something within her harden she looked up at him again, staring determinedly into the bottomless pits that passed for his eyes.

"Then one day, maybe when I'm strong enough...I'll kill myself. Better to die a slave than live as one." The Novalian threw back his head and laughed, a chilling sound that seemed like the cracking of ice.

"Oh, my little Lombax, you are so full of such noble pride!" he crowed gleefully, then his eyes locked onto hers again, sucking the life from them like a vacuum, "but I know you will never take your own life. You may not love the one you have, but you don't hate it enough to take it from yourself. You are not suicide material." Skyla's eyes lowered and against her will she felt herself flush with shame. In his own way, he was calling her a coward. And in this aspect...he was right.

"We'll see," she mumbled half-heartedly to his feet. His eyes sparkled with knowing malice,

"We won't."

* * *

><p>Later on, Skyla was eating with Maia in the slave mess hall. The Lombax paid no attention to the noise around her, instead stirring her stew absently.<p>

"What's on your mind?" Skyla looked up distractedly at her Cazar friend who regarded her with the same soft hazel eyes that never failed to comfort her,

"Hm? Oh, nothing. Just thinking." Maia nodded but said nothing. She knew Skyla would tell her when she was ready, she only had to wait.

Before Skyla could breach her subject of thought with her friend (which lingered around her conversation with Baen) the doors to the mess hall slid open and two guards entered, a third figure between. Chatter in the hall faded as the diners turned to watch the trio with distinct curiosity. The third figure was a Rilgarian, as his green skin proclaimed, and he wore a suit that matched their own. He was a slave, a new one.

The guards pushed him into the room before turning and leaving without a word. The Rilgarian scowled after them before turning his gaze upon the slaves. There was a deep suspicion in his eyes and a coldness about them that was unlike the normal warmth of his species. One of the slaves, Jaymz, got up and walked towards the young man with a smile. He stuck out his hand,

"Hello there. I'm Jaymz. Welcome to the facility." The other Rilgarian didn't take his hand.

"Where am I?" he asked.

"A facility on Florana," Jaymz replied patiently, lowering his hand.

"Who are you all?"

"I'll introduce you to everyone..."

"No, I meant, what are you all?" the Rilgarian interrupted brusquely.

"We are...the unpaid workforce," Jaymz answered delicately. He was fast getting irritated with the other man; his manner was so bitter and curt that it could inspire annoyance in any creature.

"You're slaves?" the man exclaimed bluntly.

"In a manner of speaking," Jaymz replied calmly, "have you eaten?"

"No. How many of you are there?" The man seemed determined to obtain information. Jaymz took a breath to keep his patience.

"Come and eat and I will answer all your questions as best as I can," he offered.

"Fine," the new slave nodded curtly and followed Jaymz to a nearby table. His eyes flicked around the room, taking in the gathered creatures. Some looked back with interest but others had already gone back to their meal. New slaves came every now and again to the facility, but only a few managed to adjust quickly to the lifestyle. Those who weren't so quick often suffered for it. It was clear this new slave would almost definitely be on a hunting party by the end of the month, if he kept up his indifferent attitude.

As the slave passed by Skyla his eyes locked with her own. She immediately saw the calculating intelligence and cool defiance contained in his. Her eyes widened slightly as she recognised a kindred spirit – here was someone who would never willingly submit to authority. His own eyes narrowed slightly as he too recognised the rebel within her. An understanding passed between them and then he broke the contact.

Skyla spooned a portion of stew into her mouth and chewed quietly.

"What do you make of him?" a voice asked and she looked up to see Maia looking in the direction of the new arrival. Skyla glanced over at him again. He had taken a seat by Jaymz but was completely ignoring the food before him as he listened intently to the other Rilgarian.

"Seems alright," she commented nonchalantly. Maia scrutinised him for a moment before sighing,

"He won't last a month with that attitude. I hope he doesn't cause trouble as well," she thought aloud. Skyla considered her words for a minute. Maia was probably right, she usually was. But still, if the new slave did survive this month and adapted fast...who knew what would become of him?

"I hope so too," she said, though her heart wasn't in her words. The Cazar looked at her friend briefly, noting the change in her friend's voice. She hoped Skyla wouldn't do anything stupid...but that was unlikely. They continued eating in silence. The chatter rose around them again but neither of them spoke, both lost in their thoughts of the new slave and the freedom they thought they would never have. But neither Skyla nor Maia could imagine just how much the arrival of the new slave would affect both their futures, and their very lives...


	5. Hope

Skyla's leg healed relatively quickly thanks to Xavier's speedy treatment, and no trace was left of the gaping wound. It throbbed occasionally for a while after, but Skyla ignored the pain, as per usual.

Though she'd never say it out loud, living as a slave in a remote facility with the devil in charge had given her skills she would not have otherwise developed. In her early years at the facility, when she was young and inexperienced, her actions bordered on feral as she lashed out at most creatures that came near her. The problems she caused then were erratic and uncalculated and most of the time, she was caught before she could do any real damage. But she'd learned and adapted to remedy this and fast picked up skills on how to evade capture, as well as how to move silently and quickly and how to hide in the tiniest places. The punishments Baen had inflicted on her had only increased her determination to cause trouble, as well as toughened her up. She learned to stand the physical pain and most forms of mental pain, and also became skilled at masking her agony so that only those who knew her well could tell when she was in torment. She never liked creatures to see her in pain, it was too obvious a sign of weakness to her, and she abhorred displaying weaknesses.

When she hit her teenage years her body slimmed out and she found she was more flexible than she'd previously thought, and she also discovered (to her pleasant surprise) muscles she hadn't possessed before. Quickly putting this to use, she taught herself how to swiftly carry heavy objects over difficult terrain and even climb with them until she could haul 8 kilos of dirt over a 100 metre stretch of spiky Pinkle Plants or a 6 kilo load up to the top of the Giant Bezebo Bamboo. Besides this, she also took many a lesson in how to beat up a Reaper or Snivelakian to produce the most visible injuries, though that part was more of a hobby.

Maia sometimes watched her (at least, with the safe exercises) and often asked why she bothered. Skyla would always reply that she was bored and wanted something productive to do, but they both knew it was more than that. The training was designed to ensure Skyla was ready for anything, so that one day, if the impossible happened...if they escaped, she'd be ready to face the universe.

* * *

><p>"How's your leg?" Skyla looked up from her work to see a concerned green face looking down at her. It had been several days since the 'larva incident' (which had officially been ranked number 4 in most unpleasant punishments) and her leg only twinged every now again, especially when she thought of Baen. So she didn't.<p>

"It's fine, Jaymz," she assured him. The Rilgarian shook his head in disgust,

"The things he does to you...it makes my blood boil." Skyla suppressed a smile, if Maia was her motherly older sister, then Jaymz was the protective older brother. He was always looking out for her and she knew that secretly, he was proud of her and wanted to cause trouble too. So she sometimes did a little extra damage on his behalf.

"How's the newbie?" Skyla asked, changing the subject before he had a chance to go on with another rant against Baen. The Rilgarian glanced over at the new slave who was pruning an Aridian Spotted Tarinka. His face was expressionless as he worked and Skyla wondered what he was thinking.

"He's alright, I guess, a bit indifferent at times. Settling in well enough," Jaymz replied with a small shrug.

"Has he said where he's from?" He shook his head in reply,

"No, the only thing I've been able to get out of him was his name."

"And that is...?" Skyla left the question hanging for him.

"I'll introduce you. Marco!" Jaymz called and the slave looked up. He came over at Jaymz's gesture, though Skyla noticed he walked with a somewhat rigid back and a stiff gait.

"Marco, this is Skyla. Skyla, meet Marco," Jaymz indicated to both of them as he spoke. The other Rilgarian scrutinised Skyla for a moment.

"How are you finding it here?" Skyla ventured, ignoring his gaze.

"You're a Lombax," he said bluntly. Skyla gave him a look. She could see what Jaymz meant when he said Marco was indifferent. Some would call it rude.

"How observant of you," she muttered sarcastically in response. Marco shrugged,

"Don't see many of you any more." Skyla's ear twitched in annoyance but she let the comment pass.

"How are you finding it here?" she repeated politely.

"Never really liked plants," Marco replied simply with a casual glance around the chamber, "weren't that many where I came from."

"And where was that?" Skyla asked innocently, trying to wheedle out information.

"More at home with technology, anyway," the Rilgarian went on as if she hadn't spoken. Skyla and Jaymz exchanged glances, but dropped the matter.

"Same here," Jaymz added, "always felt better with a gizmo rather than a plant in my hand." Marco looked at him,

"You're a Rilgarian, aren't you? That's the way we are." Skyla didn't know whether to laugh or cry. His blunt attitude was positively repulsive to any creature and she wondered how he'd survived a week already. Then again, he clearly had no reservations about speaking his mind. Not to mention he had guts, and guts were always lacking around the facility, probably because they didn't last long.

He was right about the Rilgarians, though. From what Jaymz had told her, Skyla knew that Rilgarians had an affinity for technology, especially new gizmos. He'd explained that Rilgarians were always after the next new thing, and were prone to leaving the old things lying about. Apparently, this would never have happened with Lombaxes, he'd told her, as Lombaxes had been renowned for never leaving anything unmodified, and never abandoned any of their creations unless they sold them on. According to Jaymz, the average teenage Rilgarian spent over 2,000 bolts on new gizmos every year.

Skyla hadn't asked how he knew this at first, but then she'd found out how he'd grown up on Rilgar before he was captured by Slavers around the age of 8. He'd lived as a slave ever since, but still retained a strong memory of life on Rilgar. Sometimes, when Skyla was down, he'd tell her stories he remembered from his childhood of when he was a free creature. Far from depressing her further, the stories never failed to brighten Skyla's outlook as she thoroughly enjoyed hearing of other planets and lifestyles. No matter that she may never visit them in person; she could visit them in her mind and in the words of others.

"Oi, you lot! Get back to work," called a loud voice, a guard. The two Rilgarians and the Lombax exchanged glances before parting ways returning to their work without another word.

* * *

><p>Skyla saw little of either Rilgarian over the next few days as she was sent to work in the complex and then the artefact's room. The latter she enjoyed more than any of her other jobs as was mostly alone when working there. It gave her time to think, and occasionally plotscheme her next escape attempt.

For reasons not entirely unknown, she found a certain peace among the artefacts that she never felt anywhere else. Something about the objects within appealed to her. They were unique, like her, and most of them were not found anywhere else, like her. Yet they didn't make any fuss about it, they simply sat there, quietly accepting the fact that they were alone. Of course, they were inanimate objects, there was nothing they could do about their situation, they couldn't move or talk. Still, Skyla enjoyed looking after them and always drew out her duties in the room so that she spent as much time as possible in the quiet place that was her sanctuary from the traumatic life of a slave. Here, she was safest.

Skyla was in the artefact's room, dusting a trophy (from the first intergalactic Olympics) when the doors opened and Marco walked in. Skyla glanced up at him in surprise; she hadn't thought anyone else was on artefacts duty today. He came straight over,

"They said you're the one to talk to about escaping," the directness of his words made Skyla's eyebrows rise in mild shock. Then she took a quick look to where she knew there were hidden cameras, watching the room 24/7. They were the only thing that disturbed her peace, so she ignored them most of the time. But still...was Marco out of his mind...?

"Don't worry about them," the Rilgarian said dismissively, "I've set them on a loop. If anyone's watching it'll just look like you're dusting this area very slowly. We have 5 minutes before me staying here becomes too risky." Skyla's brow knotted in confusion,

"How did you...?"

"No matter," he cut across, "I want to talk about your escape attempts." The Lombax's eyes narrowed with suspicion,

"Why do you want to know?"

"Because I want to know where you went wrong so I don't make the same mistakes." Skyla did a double take,

"I'm sorry...what?" Marco gave her a look,

"I'm going to escape this place and if I'm going to do that effectively, I need to know what mistakes have been made before hand." Skyla looked at him incredulously,

"You have _got _to be kidding me. No-one who has attempted to escape this place has ever been successful, they've all tried, failed and been eaten alive."

"And yet here you are," the Rilgarian looked at her with glinting eyes. The Lombax's eyes narrowed further,

"I'm a 'special' case. Who told you about my attempts anyway?"

"That doesn't matter. I just want to know what you did wrong...and we haven't much time."

"What makes you think I'll help you?" she countered.

"Because you'll be coming with me." Skyla blinked,

"What?"

"I need someone with experience of this place," Marco explained, "someone who knows this place well and has the guts to help. Have you got the guts?" Skyla overlooked the blatant jibe at her pride,

"Why me? There are others who've been here longer than I have, who know this place better than I ever could and who have twice the guts as me...if they could ever safely display them."

"Would you rather I asked someone else?" he murmured softly. That stumped her. What he was suggesting...what she thought he was suggesting, was something she'd only ever dreamed of...still...

"I don't trust you," she told him bluntly.

"I'm not asking you to trust me, I'm asking you to help me," he answered. Skyla scrutinised him for a moment,

"What makes you think you can do what countless others haven't been able to do with years of knowledge of this place?"

"I have a plan...and I think I've already displayed my talent with technology. We haven't much time," he repeated, "will you help me?"

"Let me get this straight. You want me to help you risk your life to escape this god-forsaken facility?"

"Is that really so hard to comprehend?" he retorted with cold sarcasm. Skyla suppressed the urge to let out a bark of laughter, though her mouth twitched. This guy had _guts_. She mulled his offer over in her mind. If the worst came to the worst, they'd fail, Marco would die and she would suffer horribly for a month or two. At best...her heart fluttered...freedom! Even the word tasted sweet on her tongue and made her feel giddy just thinking about it. It was a long shot, a very long shot...but what if it actually worked?

"Fine. I'll help. But if this is a trap..."

"It's not, you're no use to me injured," he informed her and she rolled her eyes, "I need to know how many times you've tried to escape and why they failed. We have 85 seconds."

"The first 7 times were when I was young and foolish so they don't count," Skyla explained quickly, pushing aside suspicious thoughts for the time being, "but the past 9 have been more calculated. I tried decoys, distractions, sneaking around at night, I even fried the security system of a part of the facility once with a stolen spanner. But there's a separate system for each area, and no main frame computer. Baen doesn't trust having just one universal system, he thinks they're too easy to sabotage. My most successful attempt was when I set the animals in the complex free and slipped out during the chaos...I made it as far as the front door before I was stunned by a taser," she winced slightly as she spoke, remembering the neurotoxin incident. Marco nodded,

"And you've been here how long?"

"Just over a decade..." her voice trailed off. Had it really been that long since she stood on the stage at the slave auction? She didn't know how long it had felt, either too long...or too short for such a time to have passed.

"Do you really think you can do it?" she blurted suddenly, then clamped her mouth shut. She didn't want to sound too desperate.

"I know I can, I just need time and a little help," the Rilgarian replied.

"What's the plan?"

"No time now. I'll contact you another way with instructions." With that, Marco swiftly turned on his heel and left the room.

Skyla was left standing, dusting cloth in one hand and trophy in the other, staring after the Rilgarian. She replaced the trophy. Had that really just happened? She was prone to imagining things in this room...what if it had just been a fantasy? She shook her head slightly. It had been real. Marco was going to escape and he'd asked for her help, or assistance at least. There was every chance he was lying and this was, in fact, a trap. But at this stage in her life...she didn't care. Yet however slim, there was a chance he was telling the truth and genuinely did believe he had the power to break them out of this hell hole. It was a total shot in the dark, but for the first time in a long time, hope stirred in the Lombax's heart.


	6. I'm coming with you

Skyla didn't tell Maia, obviously. How could she? It wasn't that her friend wouldn't believe her; it was because that she would tell Skyla that the idea was ludicrous and she shouldn't put her faith into someone she'd barely known for a fortnight. And she'd be right, of course. Not to mention, if Baen thought Maia was involved in any way...she'd suffer too if everything went wrong. And that was something Skyla wanted to avoid at all costs. If the situation was different and she actually trusted Marco, she might ask her Cazar friend to come with them...but as it stood, she'd have to leave her here a little longer.

There was no way Skyla was going to abandon her friends, no chance in hell. She'd escape, contact the authorities and get them to raid the facility, saving all the slaves and ending Baen's horrific reign. At least, that was the idea. So for the moment, Maia remained oblivious to Skyla and Marco's plan.

* * *

><p>It was another 3 days before Marco contacted her again, in a different way, as he had said. She'd been worried that he wouldn't get in touch with her, and that he'd ditched the plan. She needn't have worried though, as he kept true to his word...for now.<p>

They were queuing for food in the slave's mess hall when he brushed passed her, slipping something into her pocket as he did. Her heart immediately began hammering with anticipation and she had to take a moment to calm herself.

Several agonising hours had passed before she was able to reach into her pocket under the cover of her blanket. The quiet snores of the other slaves could be heard as she drew out a large leaf, from the bamboo plant. It had only a few words on it,

'_Draw map of facility – in detail. Leave under bottom left corner of mattress. M'_

Thanking the stars that Maia had taught her how to read and write, Skyla ripped the leaf into little pieces and flushed them down the toilet when she next visited the bathroom.

The words had instantly brought to mind a visual map of the facility. Part of her self-training had been to memorise the location of every room in the complex. She'd done this by travelling all over the facility daily, noting key markers and defining details that allowed her to plug them into her brain. The facility spread out in her mind like an actual map as she remembered every room and its contents. It was obvious that Marco didn't just want their location, but also full security details too. She could give him that.

The next day, she plucked a leaf from the same plant, where it wouldn't be missed, and set about drawing the facility as best she could from memory. Using a Pinkle Plant Needle she scratched out a new sector whenever she had a free minute and could find somewhere secluded enough. It was lucky the bamboo leaf was flexible, like paper, and didn't tear when folded. She didn't trust her pockets so she kept it in her shoe when she was working.

Bit by bit, the map came together over the day and before bed, she placed it under her mattress, as instructed. Secretly, she was quite proud of it. Not only had she managed to fit every room on the single leaf, but she'd also included every camera she knew of, where the security system for every room lay and which doors needed which codes. All in a clear, detailed lay out. At least that would show Marco how willing she was to help...if he kept up his side of the bargain.

That night, she lay in bed wide awake, thinking.

Since her conversation with Marco in the artefact's room, she'd been thinking a lot about the galaxy outside the facility. She'd been a slave all her life and had only seen two worlds. She didn't remember her parents, or if she'd had any relatives at all, her early memories were all a blur and she couldn't tell when and where they had happened. Before she'd been bought by Baen she'd grown up working as a miner on Hoven digging for Raritanium at an illegal mining facility. The temperature had never been above -18 degrees Celsius and the slaves were provided with little thermal clothing. But Skyla had survived, somehow, for nearly 7 years. She'd been cared for by a kind Kerwanian until the age of 6 when a freak accident had snatched her from Skyla's life. After that, Skyla had fended for herself. It had been too cold to fight or make trouble and she had no friends to look out for her. In the mines, it was every man for himself. So Skyla's rebellious nature had been suppressed and she'd simply gotten on with her work then. That was until the Blargian businessman saw her.

He'd been taking a tour of the mining facility when he spotted Skyla amongst the workers. How he recognised her species under the grime and dirt that coated her fur, Skyla did not know, but the fact that he did changed her life.

The businessman had pointed her out to the owner and asked about her, and why she was working as a common slave. The owner, another Blargian with considerably less intelligence, had scratched his head, not knowing what it was about this particular slave that had caught his partner's interest. To him, she was just another worker.

But once the businessman had explained that Lombaxes were extinct in the universe, making her the last of her kind, comprehension began to dawn on the owner. And when the other Blarg mentioned how much he could sell her for, the owner was convinced. The two simple words 'money' and 'lots' were enough to make up his tiny little mind, so he decided to do as the businessman said and sell her on, reaping some of the profits.

With that, Skyla was snatched from life on Hoven and promptly hauled away to the nearest major slave auction.

That was where Baen had found and bought her, and she'd been on Florana ever since.

When she first arrived, she'd been incredibly difficult, bordering on feral. She quickly worked out that Baen wasn't going to kill her for any reason, so her defiant side blossomed. Most of the slaves had steered clear of her during the early months in order to avoid the random violent outbursts she was prone to. Maia and Jaymz, however, stuck through with her, patiently waiting for her wild side to cool and for her more sane nature to emerge. They also worked to gain her trust, which proved somewhat difficult as young Skyla was not quick to trust any creature. It'd taken a while, but they'd got there eventually. Now, they were like family, and Skyla couldn't imagine life without them.

It seemed universally accepted amongst the slaves that they'd live and die on this planet, in this facility, never seeing other worlds, just working until they faded away into death. Maia and Jaymz thought the same, and while Skyla knew they were probably right, part of her still pined for another life.

Then Marco had arrived and suddenly, a new door had opened...and was that light on the other side?

Freedom – a new life.

Skyla sucked in a breath where she lay. What if they actually made it? What if, by some bizarre freak of nature, they actually escaped? Already, she'd planned what she'd do.

Step 1) [part B] Contact authorities and rescue slaves.

Step 2) Imprison Baen and his guards (the government would take care of that...maybe they'd even be executed).

Step 3) Remove contents of facility and see them safely transferred to a museum/breeding programme.

Step 4) Destroy facility OR put it to good use.

Step 5) Find relatives (if any) for every slave.

Step 6) Relocation for those who want it and have no living relatives.

Step 7) Live out life in peace – free.

If all of these steps happened, not necessarily in order, Skyla would be content.

It was a beautiful picture. But there was a million to one chance of it actually being painted...but a chance it was.

And even if Marco's plan worked and they did escape and all their dreams come true...it wouldn't be perfect, not for Skyla. Her biggest dream would never come true. They could escape, be free, live, eat and die as they pleased...but Skyla would still be the last of her kind. She would still be Skyla, the last Lombax. Nothing in the galaxy could change that. She would still be alone in that aspect. Forever.

Sighing, she turned over in her bed. It wasn't good for her to think like that, it only made her depressed and sapped her hope. Anyway, it was no use dwelling on her lonely existence now, she had a list to follow! And Step 1 Part A – Escape.

* * *

><p>By the next day, the plan had gone. Skyla's stomach had literally flipped when she looked and noted its absence. It felt like cogs had actually been set in motion and were beginning to turn some great machine. She'd done her bit, though she didn't think her job was done...and so she awaited further instructions from Marco.<p>

Throughout the day Skyla's mind kept wandering off, taking her back again and again to thoughts of escape and freedom. It was hard for her to concentrate on her work, and several times she had to pinch herself to make sure she was still awake and not off in some dream land.

One thought in particular kept nagging at her – Baen. Deep down, she knew that even if Marco was telling the truth and did have a plan of escape...Baen wouldn't let her just walk out and leave her free to meander across the galaxy. He'd come after her. And knowing him, he would have every one of his guards out looking for her. They'd scour the entire galaxy until they found her and brought her back, unless she found the authorities first.

The Novalian was so possessive of her, though he had a funny way of showing it. He was fine with her attacking and insulting the guards, but if any of them hurt her back and he found out...they could get in a heap of trouble. Most of the time, Skyla hid her injuries, visiting Xavier in secret and getting them treated with minimum fuss. That way, the fighting stayed relatively private.

Some guards Skyla even had a grudging respect for, Grignak being one of them. He never insulted her, or hit her, or did anything mean spirited toward her. He never said much, but Skyla could tell he was different from the others. The other guards looked at her with horrible, patronising looks that taunted and irked her to no end. Grignak never looked at her like that; his eyes remained impassive most of the time. There was a time when Skyla had been in such a bad state after one of Baen's punishments that she'd collapsed metres from the lab door. Grignak had rushed over to help her and as she looked up at him, for a very brief moment she thought she saw genuine concern in his eyes. The look had passed quickly and he aided her into the lab, leaving her with Xavier. When she'd left, she found no trace of the concern in his eyes...but she had seen it. She debated whether it had been worry for what Baen would do if she died when he could have done something, but dismissed the thought. Grignak had helped her out of concern. Not all the guards were heartless bastards.

But every one of the guards had to follow orders, so if Skyla escaped...they would all be after her, Grignak included. She shuddered at the thought; she didn't like the idea of being hunted like some common animal. Every minute she spent outside the facility walls and not within the safe hands of the authorities she would be on the run. So once she escaped, she'd have to find the authorities, and fast.

That evening, Skyla found another note that had somehow been wrapped up in her napkin. She slipped it into her pocket while no-one was looking and read it the first chance she got.

'_Need details of guards. Night shifts, patrol routes etc. M_'.

As before, she wrote it all up the next day and left it in the same place. When she next looked, it was gone.

* * *

><p>The change in Skyla's mood had not gone unnoticed to Maia. Having known Skyla for nearly a decade, Maia was well acquainted with her friend's habits and quirks. For example, most of Skyla's emotions were communicated by her ears. When angry, her ears either stood up straight (if she was simply irritated) or were flat against her skull (when she was mad as hell). When happy, her ears moved a lot, swivelling slightly as she took in noises around her. If they twitched a lot, she was probably annoyed, but not enough for Maia to have to worry about her attacking anyone. Droopy ears meant she was sad or in pain, but Maia rarely saw Skyla with ears drooped, as her friend hated displaying weaknesses. Lopsided ears (one up, one down) meant she was thinking. The more lopsided they were, the deeper her thoughts.<p>

Recently, Skyla's ears had become increasingly lopsided whenever she was idle, and it hadn't gone unnoticed to her Cazar friend. She'd also noted Skyla's daydreaming phases and the occasional distant looks like she was gazing at something far out in space. It didn't take Maia long to deduce that her friend was up to something, and knowing Skyla as she did, it wouldn't be good.

Judging from the long period of time Skyla had been in thought, Maia guessed it wasn't anything simple, nor could it be anything too deep otherwise Skyla would have mentioned it by now. No, unfortunately, the elimination process provided Maia with an answer she didn't like. Skyla was planning something big...and stupid.

So she decided to ask Skyla about it, hoping to get to the source in time to stop Skyla from doing something she wouldn't regret but would end up with her getting hurt. The Cazar hated it when her friend got hurt, though the Lombax never seemed to care. Whenever Maia could she'd talk Skyla out of stupid acts, hopefully it would work this time.

She chose an evening when all the slaves were in the main quarters, getting ready for bed. Maia and Skyla shared a bunk bed and the Cazar poked her head over the top,

"Hey." Skyla looked over at her friend from where she lay; her eyes were slightly glazed so Maia knew she'd just interrupted a train of thought.

"Hi," the Lombax smiled, blinking to focus her eyes.

"Can we talk?" her Cazar friend asked. Skyla's eyebrows rose,

"Um, yeah...sure." She sat upright and shifted over as Maia clambered in beside her. The light buzz of chatter could be heard as the slaves talked quietly amongst themselves, there was little chance of them being overheard. Both friends sat upright, legs crossed and facing each other. Maia looked at her friend,

"What are you up to?" she asked softly, going for the gentle approach. Skyla's brow furrowed slightly in confusion,

"What do you mean?"

"I mean...what are you up to? You've been acting...distant lately and you only do that when you're planning something," Maia told her carefully. Skyla blinked, masking her surprise. She should have guessed Maia would know something was up, but she hadn't prepared an answer.

"I'm not planning anything," she answered, mixing truth and lies. The Cazar gave her a look,

"Sky," she said in a slightly condescending voice that demanded the truth. The Lombax shifted where she sat, suddenly feeling rather uncomfortable,

"I'm not planning anything," she mumbled, bowing her head slightly. Maia sighed,

"Sky, I know you. I know when you're up to something...and whatever it is you are up to, it needs to come down _now,_"her expression softened, "you'll only get hurt."

"I'm sorry, Maia," Skyla said simply. The Cazar's eyebrows rose slightly,

"Sorry for what?" She received no answer. Maia put a reassuring hand on her friends shoulder,

"You can tell me, Sky. You can tell me anything."

"I know," Skyla smiled up at her friend, then her face turned troubled, "but I can't tell you this...it will only put you in danger." Maia's brow knotted in confusion as she replayed Skyla's words in her head, evaluating them. Then it dawned on her.

"Oh no...you're planning another escape attempt, aren't you?" Skyla looked up, trying to keep her face impassive,

"No, I'm not."

"Sky!" Maia cried softly, she should have guessed it would be this way, "I've known you for nearly a decade and I know of all your escape attempts. I know when you're planning another! Please, Sky," she pleaded with her friend, "I don't like it when you get hurt."

"Neither do I," Skyla mumbled, telling the truth. Baen's punishments may have been good for toughening her up, but she still resented them bitterly.

"Then stop planning another attempt!" exclaimed Maia, then checked herself. They may not be overheard by guards or cameras but there was every chance a slave could hear them if they listened in, you could never tell. Taking a breath to calm her nerves she lowered her voice,

"Please, Sky," she repeated with a hint of desperation in her voice. Skyla bit her lip. She wanted to tell Maia, really, she did, but to do so would be to put the Cazar in danger. But Maia was persistent and always knew, almost instinctively, when Skyla was up to something. If she didn't tell her, she wouldn't hear the end of it until all was in the open...and Maia had already guessed, partly, what was going on. Skyla sighed and her ears slumped slightly in defeat,

"_I'm_ not planning an escape attempt," she paused and took a breath, "Marco is." She winced as she said his name; the cat was out the bag now.

There was a silence between them when only the talking of the slaves could be heard. The Cazar stared at the Lombax. And stared...and stared. She was lost for words, which was a rare occurrence for her. She'd been expecting something crazy, like sabotaging the security system of the complex (again) or sneaking out with the hunting party (which had been tried once and failed spectacularly). She'd been prepared to talk her out of anything like that...but this was...not what she thought it would be.

"What?" she managed after a considerable length of time had passed. Skyla looked at her apologetically,

"I can't tell you any more...you'll get in trouble if it works."

"If it...?" Maia shook her head in a slight daze, "I'm sorry..._what_?"

"Marco's planning to escape...and he's asked for my help," the Lombax told her simply. Maia's mouth opened and close like a fish, then she swallowed.

"Are you _out of your mind?_" she hissed fiercely, as loud as she dared.

"I know what you're going to say..." Skyla began.

"Good! Then you'll know I think it's a terrible idea!" Maia interrupted.

"But..."

"No buts, Skyla," the older girl looked at her friend in disbelief, not quite understanding what she was hearing from a creature she knew had a moderate amount of sense, "you've known the guy for how long?"

"I know it sounds stupid," Skyla told her, trying to gain the ground Maia was rapidly preparing to knock from beneath her. The Lombax was determined to at least explain herself, to make sure Maia understood why she'd taken on this...crazy notion.

"But I figured it was worth a shot," she added hesitantly. Maia sighed heavily,

"What happened?" she murmured, deciding to allow Skyla the chance to make herself clear. The Lombax wasn't mad, she knew that. So her reasons had to be somewhat rational, and therefore worthy of a hearing.

"I can't tell you everything but..." Skyla chewed her lip again, wondering how much she could safely reveal. "He approached me when I was working alone and asked me about my escape attempts. I thought he was joking at first but he kept on asking me questions and telling me he was going to escape and he...needed my help. So I agreed. And I've helped him a little so far, but not a lot."

"And has it occurred to you that it may well be a trap?"

"He said it wasn't," Skyla answered lamely. Realising how pathetic that sounded she struggled to justify herself, "he sounded so honest and when I asked him he said he genuinely believed he could escape. So I figured if I could help, then I would. The worst that could happen is that he's lying and I get in trouble, or he's telling the truth, we fail to escape and I suffer for a week or two...and he dies. But if there's a chance he's telling the truth and we make it...just think of it, Maia – freedom! Once I'm free I can get the authorities and come back for you and the others, we can all be free!"

The Cazar studied her friend for a moment before taking the girls hands in her own.

"Sky...I know what escaping means to you," she paused, choosing her words with care, "But putting your faith into someone you've just met is not how it's going to happen."

"Then how is it going to happen?" Skyla cried with sudden passion, "how? How are we supposed to escape this hell-hole? Please, if you know then tell me because I've been trying for a decade," her voice cracked slightly with emotion and her mouth clamped shut. Her head bowed and she screwed her eyes shut to prevent tears from falling. She knew her pleas were useless, no-one knew how to escape the facility, and those that thought they did ended up as shark fodder. Not even Professor Xavier, the head scientist and one of Baen's 'trusted' workers, knew how to get out unnoticed. Only the hunting party went out on a regular basis and no-one wanted to join them (though Skyla had once tried). Most workers, when asked about freedom replied,

"The only free slave is a dead slave." They all knew their lives were resigned to the facility or wherever else they were sent and they accepted it, integrating it into their system until the thought of being free didn't make sense any more. They were slaves, nothing more, and worth less.

Maia felt overwhelming sympathy for her friend whose desire for freedom had never died over the years. It burned as a bright fire that didn't go out even when Baen and his guards threw endless buckets of water over it.

"One day, Sky, it may happen," she said gently.

"What if that time is now?" Skyla murmured, looking up at her friend, eyes filled with pain, longing and hope. Her older friend gazed at her quietly for a moment.

"What did he tell you?" she said eventually.

"Maia, if I tell you..."

"Please, Sky, tell me," Maia said softly. Skyla thought it over for a moment, then nodded. In a hushed voice she proceeded to tell Maia everything that had passed between her and Marco. Their conversation in the artefacts room, the map and security plans she'd give him. Maia simply listened as she spoke, her face remaining expressionless throughout. When Skyla had finished, the chatter in the quarters had faded as creatures had started getting into bed. They didn't have much time.

Maia took the time to really look at Skyla. The Lombax's eyes betrayed how desperate she was for Marco to be telling the truth, and how she ached to be free from Baen and the facility and a caged existence. And if the Rilgarian was being genuine...who was Maia to deny them a shot? But there was no way she'd let Skyla go at it alone.

"I'm coming with you," she murmured. Skyla blinked,

"What?"

"Count me in on the plan," Maia clarified, "if you're planning on escaping you'll need all the help you can get and I can lend a hand. Besides, as you said, if it works, we'll be free." Skyla gaped at her, then shook her head,

"What? No! I won't let you!"

"Won't let me help?" Maia asked, one eyebrow raised.

"It's too dangerous! At least I know that if we fail I won't die...but if we fail and you're with us...they'll kill you!" Skyla exclaimed. Maia shrugged lightly,

"Then we best not fail."

"Maia, I appreciate the offer..." Skyla began, trying to reason with her friend.

"So you're saying I can't go with you? That I can't contribute to gaining my own freedom?" Maia countered.

"No, I'm not saying that," Skyla protested, "I just don't want you to get hurt,"she finished, only afterwards realising she was echoing Maia's earlier words. The Cazar smiled gently,

"Nor I you. But if you go, I go. At least if we're together we can take on Marco if it's a trap." Skyla sighed. She knew how stubborn Maia could be when her mind was made up, and it seemed to have happened now, in a most bizarre turn of events. But there was no way she could go through with this knowing that if they failed, her best friend's life was forfeit. The stakes were too high.

"Fine, I won't go then," the Lombax muttered.

"Why?" asked Maia, brow furrowing.

"Because I value your life more than I do my own freedom, that's why," Skyla retorted with only a trace of bitterness. "There's too high a chance of us failing...and the thought of losing you is...unbearable." The Cazar looked at her friend in surprise; then again, she should have seen it coming. Skyla was incredibly selfless and loyal. She never abandoned her friends. If it was a choice between her own gain and the gain of others, Skyla would always elevate the needs of her friends over her own.

Then Maia realised, to her surprise, that she hadn't actually meant for Skyla to renounce her plan to escape. She'd been all for talking her out of it, or making her drop the idea, which was now within reaching distance. If Maia wanted, she could get Skyla to give up the idea entirely and life would return to normal. But she didn't want to do that, not now. She wanted to go with her.

"No," she said softly and Skyla looked up at her in puzzlement, "I'll talk to Marco and we will attempt this together," Maia continued with a small smile, "I want freedom just as much as you do and if you really believe there's even a slim chance of the plan actually working...then I want to be a part of it. Who knows? The Cazar's have a saying, '_One life, one miracle'_, meaning that every life has one impossible miracle...maybe this is the miracle for our lives."

The Lombax stared at her friend in shock. Had she heard right? Maia was actually encouraging her, _them_, to escape...? Looking into her friends hazel eyes, she saw that it was so. A weight seemed to lift off her as affection for her friend overwhelmed her and she pulled Maia into a tight embrace,

"I love you, Maia," she whispered fiercely.

"I love you too, Skyla," the Cazar whispered back, stroking Skyla's hair as if she were a child. They stayed like that for a while, just savouring the moment, before drawing apart and slipping into their separate beds with a quiet 'good night'.

Before Skyla let sleep take her, Maia's words rang again in her head, '_One life, one miracle'_. It might only be a saying, but it struck a chord within Skyla. She thought that if she had the choice, she'd probably spend her miracle on bringing back the Lombaxes, or at least making more of them...somehow. But that really did seem like an impossible miracle. So maybe then, escaping was to be her little dream come true. Closing her eyes, the Lombax smiled, and prayed for a miracle.


	7. And so it begins

"Absolutely not," the finality of Marco's words told anyone that he was completely serious and not to be questioned. Skyla and Maia exchanged looks. They were in the mess hall having breakfast when Maia had breached the subject of escape with Marco. It was just them at the table as Jaymz was on an early morning run in the zoo complex. There was a fair amount of noise to mask their conversation, so long as they kept their voices low.

Skyla opened her mouth to argue but Maia held up a hand for her to quiet. The Cazar looked at the Rilgarian,

"Why?" she said simply.

"Your presence will jeopardise the mission," he replied bluntly.

"Not necessarily. I can help," Maia countered. Marco shook his head,

"No."

"Maia's been here longer than me," Skyla interjected before Maia could reply, "she knows the facility better than I do, and we need all the help we can get." The Rilgarian gave her a withering look,

"If that's your opinion then why not get every slave involved? We'll be sure to succeed then." Skyla's eyes narrowed at his cutting sarcasm.

"Do you really think you can do it?" asked Maia, ignoring his last words. Marco blinked coolly,

"I know I can."

"Then why do you need Skyla?" The Rilgarian's eyes slid over to the Lombax and studied her for a moment, before returning to the Cazar.

"She has the knowledge I need...and I also require some muscle," he said carefully. Skyla's eyebrows shot up in surprise,

"I get to hit people? Please say it's the guards...?" Marco's own eyebrows rose in response to her eagerness at the thought of violence, but it was a patronising look with a hint of disgust.

"Yes, I will need you to take out a guard or two. I've been watching every slave since I first arrived to look for potential partners, and I've seen you train. I was reasonably impressed. And it seems you're the only one who has the guts, the muscle and the knowledge I need to get out of this place," he explained simply. Skyla smiled slightly at the compliment, then frowned,

"But why me? There are plenty who have those things who'd provide better assistance than me."

"As I said before, would you rather I asked someone else?" the Rilgarian retorted and Skyla's mouth closed.

"You realise that Skyla is one of the Collector's prized 'possessions' and taking her with you is extremely dangerous. The Collector will come after you, no doubt about that," Maia informed him evenly. She wasn't trying to make him renounce Skyla's help, but she felt duty bound to let him know exactly what he was getting in to. Marco looked at Skyla briefly,

"I need her knowledge and aid. Her status is irrelevant."

"And if you fail, your life will be forfeit," the Cazar added.

"I will not fail." Maia looked at him curiously,

"What makes you so confident that it will work?"

"Because I know it will," Marco told her simply, no trace of emotion on his blank features. Maia nodded,

"Ok then. Count me in." The Rilgarian's expression hardened,

"You're not coming with us."

"I think you'll find she is," Skyla stated. Marco looked at her as if she were a mad creature who smelt unpleasant,

"Have you taken leave of your senses, Lombax? She cannot, and will not, be coming with us. The risks are already too high, to add to them would be sheer madness." Skyla shook her head stubbornly, not too keen on being addressed as 'Lombax'.

"She's coming with us, or I'm not helping." The Rilgarian's eyes narrowed,

"What makes you think I won't just find someone else? You said so yourself, there are plenty of others who have what I need."

"Because I know of your plan and I could tell Baen about it. Then you'd never make it," she replied bluntly. Marco scrutinised her for a moment, gauging how serious she was. Skyla stared back solidly, daring him to challenge her.

"Why should she come with us?" he asked finally.

"Because she can help."

"That's not good enough."

"Why not?"

"_How _can she help?" Skyla's mouth opened and closed.

"She can..."

"Double check your plan and point out flaws," Maia continued, "as Skyla said, I've been here longer than her and seen more escape attempts. I can help you fix mistakes before you make them." Marco's mouth twitched ever so slightly as if he found her words amusing, then shook his head in mild disgust.

"Fine, I will add your presence to my plan, but if you fall behind...I will not be responsible for your demise." Maia nodded, giving Skyla a look as the Lombax had been about to argue.

"Deal." Marco turned to Skyla with a small sneer,

"This whole situation just became a whole lot riskier thanks to you. Are you sure you can handle the risks?" The goading in his voice made Skyla want to punch him square on the chin, but she didn't want to make a scene so instead she clenched her fist and jaw. Exchanging glances with Maia, an understanding passed between the friends. Skyla nodded at Marco, steel in her eyes.

"Bring it on."

* * *

><p>Two days passed before Marco contacted them about his plan. Skyla and Maia had made a point not to talk about anything to do with escaping or the like. They kept themselves in check, keeping their normal personalities in working order so no-one suspected anything. It went without saying that neither of them trusted the Rilgarian, and under normal circumstances they might not have even indulged his presence. But as it stood, they needed him, and he needed them. A necessary evil, Maia would say.<p>

Marco came to them when they were both working in the artefact's room. It was just them so there was no chance of being overheard by any creature in particular. But there were still the cameras to think of. The Rilgarian came straight over, and from his stance, Skyla guessed he'd already 'taken care' of the cameras.

"I have 3 minutes before I need to go. I'm here to tell you plan which will be executed tomorrow night...as well to correct any 'mistakes' you spot," he added with a glance at Maia. The Cazar ignored the jibe in his voice, instead looking at where the surveillance cameras were.

"You're sure it's safe?" she asked.

"It's fine," the Rilgarian waved his hand lazily, then reached down to his shoe and drew out several sheets of leaf. Skyla recognised her map and security plan, but it appeared he'd made his own notes.

"Have I got your full attention?" he asked sarcastically. Skyla's eyes narrowed and she was about to make a harsh retort when Maia cut across her,

"We're all ears," she said with a warning look directed at Skyla.

The Lombax and the Cazar listened closely as Marco unfolded the leaves and began outlining his plan of escape. As he spoke, Skyla couldn't help but be impressed; he had really thought this through, taken most things into consideration.

Once or twice Maia butted in with a question or observation which the Rilgarian countered thoroughly, and the Cazar could find few flaws in the plan. It was simple enough, but required a great amount of skill on Marco and Skyla's part. If they played their cards right...it might just work.

"Any _other_ questions?" the green skinned man asked.

"What do we do when we get out of the facility? It's dense jungle out there and we've no supplies," Maia wondered aloud.

"I've got it all set, don't you worry," Marco assured her, though neither friend felt very assured by this.

"How?" Maia persisted. The Rilgarian gave an irritated sigh,

"We're out of time, you'll just have to trust me." He pointedly ignored Skyla's disbelieving snort. "Are we clear?" The girls exchanged glances, then nodded the affirmative. "Good. I'll give you what you need by tomorrow evening...you'll need to get ready for bed as normal, but make sure you have extra layers on."

"And you are certain it will work?" Maia asked apprehensively.

"We'll find out soon enough." With that, the Rilgarian rolled up the leaves and slipped them back into his shoe. He left the room without another word. Skyla returned to her work station, indicating that Maia should do the same. They restarted their chores, making it look as if they'd never left. Neither of them said a word, as they hadn't been talking beforehand. Besides, what could they say? Only one thought filled both their heads, and it was not something they could speak of aloud. So silence reigned over the Cazar and the Lombax as each sank deep into their own thoughts.

* * *

><p>For Skyla, time seemed like a wild thing, here one minute, there the next. Too fast, too slow, too in-between. Forever and a day passed before tomorrow arrived, yet Skyla felt like she had just blinked.<p>

The next 24 hours felt surreal to the Lombax. She went about her work as normal, all the while thinking, '_this might be the last time I do this, or see that'._ Her eyes flicked all over the place, wanting to drink everything up before they left.

She noticed things she hadn't in a while. The beauty of a Nayala flower. The magnificence of the Crested Azure bird of Paradise. It was almost like the facility didn't want her to leave, so was showing itself off in an effort to get her to stay. In a way, Skyla would miss it. It had been her home for nearly 10 years and housed some of her happiest memories, and for that reason, she loved it. But it had also been her prison and was full to the brim with her nightmares and for that reason, she hated it. She would not be sorry to leave it all behind.

Nevertheless, she took special care in her work that day, making sure she savoured it all. With any luck, she wouldn't be doing it again...ever.

In the evening, Maia and Skyla ate a hearty meal, because from what Marco had said, they'd need the energy. Not to mention it was possibly their last meal for a while. Marco ate separately to them with Jaymz.

Of all the creatures they were leaving behind, Skyla would miss Jaymz the most. From the moment she'd arrived he'd been like an older brother to her, looking out for her and subtly egging her on in his troublemaking. He knew nothing of their plan as Marco had sworn them to secrecy after Skyla had told Maia. Not that it mattered. It would have been wonderful if the fun Rilgarian had been able to come with them, he'd be a great addition to the team and would leap at any chance to punch up a guard or high tail out of this place. But Marco was right in that the stakes were already too high. So it was with a heavy heart that Skyla watched Jaymz as he laughed at a joke told to him by a Kerwanian. She wouldn't be hearing that laugh for a while.

But they would be back for him, and the others, including Professor Xavier and Cornelius. Skyla smiled as she thought of the Peluchian scientists. They'd always been there for her, in their own way, and they too were like family. Cornelius was like her enthusiastic younger cousin and Xavier her eccentric uncle. She'd miss them too. Maybe once they'd escaped, Xavier would be able to get a proper lab, one that he could do anything he wanted in, finally not being held back by Baen's horrible work. He and Cornelius would no doubt become famous with all the inventions they were always coming up with. They'd do splendidly in the outside world.

A nudge in the ribs made Skyla look up. Maia gave her a look and Skyla realised she'd been staring off into space. Giving a small sigh, she scooped another spoonful of stew into her mouth and chewed quietly.

* * *

><p>Seconds, minutes, hours ticked by and all too soon, Skyla was getting ready for bed. She made sure to leave all her necessary clothes on her person. She had no possessions to call her own, so that meant she wouldn't have to carry anything about with her.<p>

Lying in bed, she didn't have to fight off sleep as she was too agitated for that. Already, her heart pace had increased in anticipation. One by one, the other slaves got into bed and began dropping off into an easy slumber. Skyla counted in her head as the rustling died down over a series of minutes.

Then, when the last slave was in bed, all was quiet. Skyla blinked, it had begun.

One hour, two hours passed until there were well into the night. Only the light snores and shallow breathing of the slaves could be heard over the quiet of the night. Skyla remained awake, wide eyed and alert, and she knew Maia was in the same state. Even if they wanted to, neither of them could fall asleep, not now.

The Lombax waited patiently for the signal that would mark the commencing of the first step of the operation. Any minute now, Marco had said...

A sudden sneezing from over left and Skyla's ears shot upright. She counted them. 1, 2...3...4 _thump._

Quick as she could, Skyla whipped out a mask from under her pillow and strapped it over her face. Lying back down, she breathed normally and waited on the next sign.

A light hissing sound filled the air and she knew the ball had officially been set rolling. From the corner of her eye she saw the air shimmer slightly as a near invisible gas filled the room. Within a minute, the sounds of snoring from the slaves had faded and all was quiet once more.

Something tugged twice at the bottom of her sheet. Slipping out from under her covers, the Lombax climbed down the bunk ladder without a sound. Maia was already up, as was Marco. Both wore masks similar to her own. The Rilgarian beckoned to them.

Their footsteps making no sound upon the ground, the trio crept towards the door. There was only one way in and out the slave quarters, excluding the bathrooms which led nowhere. The single door was locked every night at a specific time and Skyla had heard the click. But Marco had a plan.

Reaching the exit, the Rilgarian drew out a tiny spanner that would have passed scanners unnoticed unless they were looking for it. He immediately set to work on the pane beside the door, where the controls lay (Skyla had seen them before, having tried to hack them herself twice...unsuccessfully).

Marco made a quick job of it and soon enough, the wire system was laid bare.

Skyla watched in fascination as he pulled out several wires, negotiating them with surprising delicacy for one with three fat digits. She wondered where he'd learnt such skills; he obviously hadn't been a slave all his life. The Rilgarian worked in silence for a minute, then two...

There was a tiny spark as two wires connected and a click. The door slid open. Skyla's heart leapt, it had worked!

Marco waited a moment after opening the door, as if listening for something, then he replaced the panel as quickly as possible. Indicating for them to follow he left the quarters. Maia followed after him, but Skyla lingered. She glanced around the quarters she'd slept in for nearly a decade, taking it all in one last time.

An impatient click made her turn to see Marco looking on impatiently. He tapped his wrist. They had a schedule to keep to. With a final farewell glance, Skyla turned away and followed them through the door. They slid shut behind her.

Marco glanced down either end of the corridor before motioning for them to follow. Falling in behind Maia, Skyla tiptoed down the passage with them. There was no turning back now. If they were caught, that would be it - game over.

Every step they took moved them further and further away from safety...and that much closer to freedom.


	8. Escape!

They snuck along the hallway, keeping to the shadows. Silence reigned over the facility as the trio moved along the corridor to the next system terminal. Maia and Skyla kept an eye out as Marco hacked the system even though they didn't need to, as the nearest camera was out of sight and the nearest guard on patrol route would still some way away. They had a little time before they were in real danger.

The Rilgarian worked quickly and efficiently, making all the necessary changes to the system that would enable step 1 of their plan to go ahead. But it wouldn't work without a key code, and that's where Skyla came in.

Once he'd set it all up, Marco indicated for Skyla to get in position, gesturing she had two minutes for the next guard to come around and a further two minutes until the other systems picked up on the exposed terminal.

The Lombax crept back out into the hallway, as silent as the night itself. Her fur colour blended perfectly with the walls so she moved under the cover of relative camouflage.

There was a pillar that jutted out of the wall, providing the perfect hiding place. Slipping in beside it, she made sure no part of her body was visible, and then waited.

A matter of seconds past before she heard what she'd been waiting for – footsteps. She listened intently. They were heavy and flat sounding, a Snivelakian. Her mind raced as she calculated how many seconds she had until he reached her position, how she would strike best with the element of surprise and how she would overcome a reptile 5 times her size. The footsteps were even and sounded almost mechanic. With any luck, this meant the guard would be a regular on night shifts and therefore would only be half alert. He'd be carrying standard equipment, a gun (strapped into a holster) and short knife (unstrapped and usually on the belt). She could make use of the knife. The nose was a good place to aim, as Snivelakians had sensitive muzzles. But she needed to avoid a cry of pain...

His shadow came into view and her mind came to its conclusion in a split second.

Darting from her hiding place she seemed to materialise in front of him. Her fist shot up, smacking his muzzle square on the nose. But before he could yell her knee came up to pummel him right in the gut, temporarily winding him and muffling his grunt of pain. The guard doubled over and with lightning reflexes, Skyla whipped the blade from his belt and leapt onto his bent back. Raising the blade she brought the butt down on the reptiles head as hard as she could. The creature let out a low groan and swayed violently, but didn't fall. His hands rose clumsily in an attempt to dislodge her. Raising the blade for the second time she hit him again with every ounce of her strength. Another groan escaped the reptile but it sounded like more of a sigh. The guard began to topple as his consciousness left him. Springing from his back Skyla landed beside him as he crumpled to a heap on the floor without another sound.

The Lombax immediately set about stripping him of all his security cards and details. A light hiss from nearby told her she had about a minute or so to hide the body and rejoin her friends. Pocketing all she'd found she hooked her arms under the guard and hauled him towards where she knew there was a loose panel in the wall.

It took longer than she'd have liked to stuff the unconscious guard into the wall, but it was done efficiently thanks to her training which had fine tuned her muscles. Once done, she made sure her work was undetectable, Skyla hurried back to her friends.

Marco held out his hand and she obediently placed all the security details in his palm. Turning away from them he began flicking through cards. Selecting one he was back into the system, lost once again in the wires and codes.

Maia eyed Skyla's pocket warily and the Lombax looked down. To her surprise, she saw the hilt of the guard's knife protruding from her pocket; she must have put it there without thinking. She shrugged at the Cazar who rolled her eyes with mild disapproval.

About a minute later there came a satisfied grunt from Marco. Replacing the panel he glanced up at them,

"All set. We're on a timer now. You're sure your security details were accurate?" he addressed Skyla. The Lombax nodded,

"100%." The Rilgarian nodded back,

"Let's go."

* * *

><p>Marco's plan consisted of carefully timed movements through the facility, avoiding main patrol routes and sticking to the shadows. Thanks to the security details Skyla had collected, the Rilgarian had been able to hack all the nearby cameras on the first part of the route they were taking. So their movements went unnoticed as they tiptoed through the hallway to their next terminal where Marco would repeat the hack for the next part of the route.<p>

They made it to terminal three with no problems, but then Marco had a warning for them.

"The next part is tricky, there are more cameras so we're on a more restricted timer, we have only 3 seconds to allow for mistakes...so you have to keep up with me. You need to be right at my back at _all_times or you will be seen. Do I make myself clear?"

Both the Cazar and the Lombax nodded in acknowledgement and moved in closer behind the Rilgarian. Marco replaced the panel, his lips moving as he mouthed seconds to keep time. He held up a hand, then dropped it and moved away with surprising speed.

Skyla was last in line (she'd insisted, much to Maia's chagrin) and sandwiched her friend in-between herself and Marco. Time was of the essence and they were doing well. When suddenly, as they passed a hallway...

"Skyla?" whispered a voice and the Lombaxes head whipped around. A figure stood up against the wall, but melted out as she had passed. Even in the dark, Skyla recognised them,

"Jaymz!"

"What are you doing?"

"Skyla!" called another voice in an urgent hiss and the Lombax realised she'd stopped. She had one second to catch up or she'd be seen. Making a spur of the moment decision she lunged for the Rilgarian's hand and yanked him towards her.

"Stay right behind me, _right_ behind me and _be quiet_." Jaymz, thank goodness, was extremely collected under stressful circumstances (unless he had reason to be irked) and immediately followed her orders.

They moved on and Skyla prayed that they hadn't been spotted by any camera; it was at least another 100 metres to their next terminal.

When they finally made it, she turned on Jaymz.

"What are you doing out?" she whispered furiously.

"I was in the bathroom and when I came out everyone was asleep...or knocked out. I saw you and Maia by the panel and was going to call out when I noticed who you were with and what you were doing. When you left, I managed to reopen the doors and follow you," he explained. The Lombax blinked,

"You what?"

"Jaymz, what if you were caught?" exclaimed Maia. He raised his eyebrows,

"What if _you_ were caught?" At that point Marco, who had hacked the terminal in record time, turned on Jaymz, eyes blazing with anger.

"You _fool._ You've ruined _everything!"_ The other Rilgarian's eyes narrowed,

"You should have told me about this...I could have helped!"

"So you decided to make sure we failed, then?" Marco retorted sarcastically.

"No," Jaymz snarled.

"Well that's what you've done!" the other Rilgarian hissed. Maia put herself between the two men who had risen chest to chest in challenge to the other.

"Listen," she began, keeping her voice low, "we can't stay here any longer or they'll catch us...Jaymz, you shouldn't have followed us but you'll have to come with us or we'll be caught and...executed." Her voice was reasonably level, but Skyla detected the barely masked fear contained within, Maia was absolutely terrified. The two Rilgarians glared at each other for a minute more before they nodded curtly.

"Good. Marco, how many more terminals have we got?"

"Just one more, then we're at the entrance," he replied and with a final glare at Jaymz, moved away. They all fell into formation again and set off, Jaymz now at the rear. Their time schedule wasn't as strict now, and their presence didn't seem to have been detected by any guard or camera, but they were still on the alert.

When they reached the next terminal, they were all quiet as Marco set to work, using another one of the cards Skyla connected. The Lombaxes heart thudded so loudly she felt sure the others could hear it. They were _this_ close to escaping the facility, _this_close to freedom...she could almost taste it.

Quite without warning, Marco let out a stream of curses that would have made even one of the coarsest guards blush.

"What's wrong?" exclaimed Maia. Marco glared up at Jaymz,

"Ask _him_. His casual stroll around this place has alerted not one, but _two_ cameras who are now running diagnostics on their systems. The guards will be on our tail any minute/" Skyla's mouth ran dry. How could they be this close to what she'd always dreamed of...and yet be stopped now?

"But we can still make it, right?" asked the Cazar, concern as well as more than a hint of fear in her voice. Marco looked at her,

"Our chances have dropped...yet again."

"Then we need to move," Jaymz demanded. The other Rilgarian's lip curled and he looked like he was about to make a cutting reply, when suddenly.

_ALERT. ALERT. ALERT. ALERT._

A single alarm began to blare all around them, filling the air with its noise. Skyla's heart dropped to what felt like the planet's core, they were found out - it was game over. Maia gave a sob of outright terror as realisation struck her as well - she was going to die.

The sound went straight to Skyla's soul and kick started her rebellious side.

"No," she snarled violently, causing her friends to look at her in shock, her eyes gleamed as she addressed them, "we've not come this far to fail now. We _have _to keep going". Marco looked at her as if she were mad, but then shook his head.

"I'm not ready to die either. Let's go." He leapt up without even bothering to replace the panel and immediately slipped into the hall. Skyla grabbed Maia's hand and pulled her along as she followed the Rilgarian. Jaymz fell in behind.

Alarms blaring, they sped towards the exit, following Marco as he sprinted down corridor after corridor. By some miracle, they encountered no guards, but they could hear footsteps pounding around them and they knew they had seconds.

Then they came to it.

Rounding the corner, they came face to face with the front door.

Originally, Skyla had been doubtful about leaving through the front door, the dramatic side of her wanting something more exciting, like a tunnel or secret door. But once Marco had explained his plan to use the front door for the element of the unexpected, and how sure he'd been about it, she'd decided it might not be so bad and therefore worth a shot.

Reaching the door, Marco practically wrenched the panel from the wall and dived straight into the circuits, wielding his tiny spanner like some sort of weapon, attacking the wires left right and centre. Skyla turned her back on the door, watching the surrounding area in case any guards should appear. Jaymz took up a position next to her after making Maia stay near the door.

"I'm sorry," he muttered to Skyla from the corner of his mouth. The Lombax smiled grimly,

"Don't be. We should have told you about this."

"I can't believe I messed this up..." he muttered, "if we die..." Skyla snorted softly,

"We knew the risks when we took this on. We knew we'd probably end up dying...but at least we'd die together." Jaymz glanced at her,

"Are you really so ready to die?" Skyla looked him in the eye,

"I've been ready for a while."

"They won't kill you, you know." Skyla sighed,

"I know...but I'll cross that bridge when I come to it." Jaymz studied her for a moment, knowing what she meant by 'crossing the bridge'. He smiled sadly.

"You're too young to die, Skyla. You have too much of life ahead of you." The Lombax clenched her jaw,

"What is a life without those you love? It's not a life at all, it's simply an existence." At that moment, a guard rounded the corner and a shout of exclamation from Marco told them he was through. Skyla glanced back and saw the doors slide open. Outside looked dark and she could see very little but fresh air rushed in to them, the wind ruffling her fur. She sighed, it'd probably be the last time she felt a natural breeze.

Something shoved her in the back making her stumble towards the door. She span in time to see Jaymz push her again,

"Go, I'll hold them off for as long as I can."

"What? No!" she tried to protest and fought against him.

"Maia!" called Jaymz and the Cazar rushed forward, wrapping her arms around her Lombax friend.

"Skyla, we have to go NOW!"

"GO!" yelled Jaymz.

"Jaymz!" cried Skyla as Maia began to haul her away.

"It's on a timer!" called Marco, already on the other side of the door and looking like he'd bolt any second. A single shot was fired, toward them, then another as the guard advanced quickly, weapon drawn. Another guard appeared behind him, then another. Jaymz locked eyes with Skyla, willing her to go and leave him. The Lombax gave a heaving dry sob and reached for him. His hand shot out and squeezed her hand,

"Go, look after Maia...she needs you," he murmured, before turning to meet the first guard. Skyla barely had time to acknowledge his words before she had to turn and flee with Maia out of the facility, the doors sliding shut behind them. She turned at the last moment to see Jaymz holding the guards back, keeping them from the panel and door and yelling battle cries as he did. Then it closed and she saw him no more.

"Skyla, come _on_," Maia's desperate voice reached her ears though it sounded distant. Jaymz's last words rang loudly in the Lombaxes head. She had to look after Maia. Almost robotically she turned and followed Maia away from the facility, and into the forest, the last cries of her friend, her brother, fading into the background.


	9. Captains and Cargo Ships

Floranian forests were never quiet, even at night. When the daytime creatures went to sleep, the nocturnal creatures were just getting up. They mostly consisted of insects and amphibians, though there were a few mammals you could find skulking around, their wide eyes and large ears on constant alert for night time predators that also prowled the forest. The air was filled with a cacophony of noise as the various creatures called to one another in exotic tones. Even the plants were active, as the bioluminescent ones displayed themselves readily to any insects in the area for pollination. It was thanks to one particular moss that glowed a neon green colour and coated most trees that Skyla and the others could see anything at all.

But still, visibility was near zero as the trio sped through the forest and Skyla was constantly on the lookout for anything they could trip over and hinder them. They had maybe 3 minutes before the guards would be hot on their trail, probably less.

Marco seemed to know where he was going despite the lack of light, though Skyla wondered where exactly he was taking them. Now was the time when they were most at risk. If the Rilgarian wanted, he could just abandon them right now and leave them for the wild creatures or the guards. Skyla couldn't quite decide which fate would be worse.

Once again, she was thankful for her large Lombax eyes that absorbed maximum light from their surroundings allowing her to see more than normal. Unfortunately, her ears weren't too good around now as the sounds emitted by the insects and amphibians masked most other noises, so she was unable to hear accurately if they were being followed.

"Where are we going?" Maia called to Marco but he made no reply, instead increasing his pace and forcing the friends to do the same. The Cazar nearly tripped on a protruding root but Skyla caught her, keeping her upright as they ran on.

"Marco!" she shouted at the Rilgarian in a commanding tone. He stopped and turned,

"We haven't much time," he said, eyes flicking back and forth with apparent anxiety, "the guards will be here any minute. We have to reach the cliff before they catch us."

"What cliff?" yelled Skyla.

"Where we'll be picked up," he called back, running off again.

"By who?" she shouted at his back.

"My friends," he replied over his shoulder, disappearing into the undergrowth. Cursing under her breath, Skyla increased her pace, Maia alongside her.

For a moment, they were just running. Wisps of hair had escaped the clutches of the band and floated around her head irritatingly, but she hadn't time to push them aside.

Then she heard it, the most unwelcome sound of them all – the sound of pursuit.

Heavy footsteps and shouting announced the arrival of the guards like the baying of hounds. Skyla's heart skipped a beat with fear and she put on a burst of speed, pulling Maia with her.

The yells grew closer and closer, they were closing in fast.

All of a sudden, the duo emerged from the undergrowth into a small clearing. On the other side of the clearing the ground simply dropped away and Skyla realised this was the cliff edge Marco had mentioned.

The Rilgarian was already at the ledge, eyes raking the heavens in search of something.

"Come one, come on..." he muttered to himself. Skyla ran over to him and was about to ask what he was looking for when she received an answer. The sound of an engine could be heard on the approach, and a form was seen in the sky, heading straight for them. It was a ship, medium in size. It looked slightly bulky, and appeared to be some sort of cargo ship. It looked large enough to house a small crew, so it would be perfect for transporting cargo. From what she could tell, it looked a little on the old side, but seemed in good enough condition to fly safely as it drew alongside the cliff edge without a problem.

The hatch slid open revealing a dark interior. A hand reached out,

"Hurry!" a voice called. Marco grabbed the hand and was heaved aboard. Skyla pushed Maia forward in front of her. More hands reached out and grabbed the Cazar and yanked her on board and then another came for Skyla. The Lombax was pulled aboard as the first guard broke the tree line.

With a cry, he drew his weapon and began firing. His shots were wild but dangerous and one chipped the ships door. Once safely aboard the vessel, the doors closed behind Skyla and the ship began to move off quickly. The Lombax span around to look out of the window in the door and watched as more guards poured out of the undergrowth and started firing their guns.

Some clipped the ship but there was no real damage and they were soon out of range and leaving the atmosphere. She watched as the planet surface grew fainter and fainter until clouds obscured her view and the guards were gone. Then it struck her. They'd made it. They were off Florana. Step 1 – complete.

* * *

><p>Skyla turned to see Marco getting up from where he'd fallen and dusting himself down irritably,<p>

"You took your time," he muttered.

"Well it took a while to decrypt your message," answered a voice, "did you have to make it so complex?"

Skyla looked around and took stock of her surroundings. They were in the main cargo bay of the ship, surrounded by crates of all shapes and sizes. Various doors led out of the bay and presumably into the other parts of the ship. A basic metal platform ran around three quarters of the bay, with ladders hanging down and more doors leading off it. The interior of the ship was a little rusty, but looked well cared for. The Lombaxes eyes flicked onto the several figures that surrounded them.

There were 9 of them and they were all armed with a gun and at least two knives. They were mostly Rilgarian and Novalian, with a couple of Markazians and even a young female Blarg. They all looked like they'd seen action and seemed a bit rough around the edges.

"I had to make it cryptic so I wouldn't be noticed," replied Marco and Skyla switched her gaze over to him and who he was talking to. It was an older female Rilgarian who Skyla took to be the Captain from the way she held herself and the air of command that hung about her.

"Really, Marco," she rolled her eyes and cuffed him around the head less than a little lightly. Before he could protest her eyes fell onto Maia and Skyla and they narrowed slightly,

"Who have we got here?" she asked.

"They're just accomplices," Marco explained vaguely. Skyla's own eyes narrowed at this but before she could make a cutting reply Maia spoke first.

"I'm Maia and this is Skyla," the Cazar introduced them, "thank you for helping us off the planet," she added.

"Save your thanks," the female Rilgarian snorted, "we're not out of the blue yet."

"Who are you?" Skyla asked bluntly and the woman turned on her. Surprise registered as she seemed to take in Skyla's appearance for the first time,

"A Lombax? Well, don't see many of those nowadays." Skyla's ears lay back a little but the Rilgarian went on as if she hadn't noticed, "but, I do believe introductions are in order. I am Captain Jaynwae and this is my ship and crew," she gestured the gathered creatures, then pointed directly at Marco, "and that there is my useless nephew who I have just had to dig out of trouble for the billionth time." The young Rilgarian scowled,

"Useless? I just hacked my way out of a top secret facility!"

"Completely unaided, of course," Skyla added sarcastically but he ignored her.

"Where were you anyway?" Jaynwae asked, "I was surprised when your co-ordinates came up as Florana, there's hardly anything down there anyway except swamp and mud. The facility can't have been that top secret if you got out so easily."

"It wasn't easy," Marco retorted, "and it was just a Genetics facility." Jaynwae sighed,

"If you say so. You were a fool to get caught in the first place...again. Hadn't you learned your lesson from Rykan V?" Marco flinched at this and Skyla sensed some of his old wounds being prodded. She felt no sympathy for him, though, and Jaynwae was probably right. The Captain turned to the two friends,

"So who are you two anyway? Disgruntled workers?"

"Slaves, actually," Skyla answered curtly, "but ex-slaves now." The older Rilgarian's eyes widened,

"Slaves? You didn't say anything about slaves being involved," she addressed the last part to Marco who shrugged.

"Must have slipped my mind," he mumbled.

"Idiot," his aunt muttered, "who was your master?"

"His name's Baen," Skyla told her. Jaynwae shook her head,

"Never heard of him. Ah well, his loss. You should know we don't normally carry passengers. We've got a schedule to stick to so we can't take you any place you like."

"We just need to find the authorities," Maia explained, "to free our friends." Jaynwae gave a short bark of laughter and several other crew members sniggered,

"We ain't takin' you to the authorities, darlin'!" scoffed one of the Markazians.

"Hush your gums, Camron," Jaynwae snapped but she was smiling, then turned to the duo, "we can't take you to the authorities."

"Why?" Maia asked, frowning slightly.

"Let's just say they don't care much for our kind," the Captain answered with a sly smile.

"What are you?" Skyla asked, suddenly curious, "you're too well armed to be simple traders or merchants."

"That's because the stuff we deal in isn't exactly...easy to transport," the Captain explained. The Lombax's eyebrow rose as it clicked,

"You're smugglers?"

"We prefer to think of it as 'free traders', sounds more friendly." Marco looked around as if suddenly noticing something,

"Where's Smug?"

"Off in the Polaris galaxy, hunting again," came the reply. Marco cursed,

"What?"

"He sends his love," Jaynwae told him with a smirk.

"That dirty, rotten, cheating..."

"Oh give over, Marco, you know Smug. Never hangs around for long," his aunt cut across. Marco muttered a few more curse words and Skyla looked from the Captain to her nephew. There was obviously a great deal of background to their lives, but she hadn't time to hear of it now.

"Look, we need to contact the authorities somehow," she began, "do you have a spare communication system we can use or...?"

"We haven't got anything that isn't traceable," Jaynwae cut across, "we can drop you off at the nearest space port which isn't that far away, but after that, you're on your own." Skyla glanced at Maia and the Cazar shrugged and nodded,

"I guess that would be good enough."

"Right, good thing for you it's on our route or things would be a bit more tricky," the Captain mused. Then clapped her hands,

"Alright, to your stations girls and boys, enough time wasting. Let's go! You three," she pointed at Marco, Maia and Skyla, "come with me."

* * *

><p>The crew dispersed and Skyla and Maia obediently followed the female Rilgarian through the ship. They arrived at what Skyla took to be the mess hall as there was a small kitchen and large table.<p>

"You hungry?" Jaynwae asked, tossing them a piece of fruit from a bowl on the table before they could reply. The Lombax caught it and studied it. It was bright green in colour and sphere shaped with tiny pore marks all over the surface. Skyla took a sniff of it, it smelt funny.

"They're Rilgarian Oranges," the older Rilgarian told them, taking a bite out of her own piece of fruit, "go ahead, take a bite. It won't kill you." The Lombax nibbled a bit of the flesh and let the flavours settle. It was sour and a little bitter, but had a sweet kick to it as well. Feeling a little braver, Skyla took a bigger bite, chewing the flesh of the orange carefully lest there were any pips.

"So tell me, Marco...what did you get up to on Florana?" Jaynwae asked, lounging on one of the table chairs.

"They had me working as a slave," her nephew muttered. Jaynwae let out a sudden burst of wild laughter and wiped her chin of orange juice before replying.

"Whoa, that must have been a humbling experience for you, eh?" The young Rilgarian simply glared at her but made no reply.

"So how did you end up as slaves, then?" the Captain asked Maia and Skyla. The Lombax's eyes narrowed slightly, but Maia didn't seem to take any offence.

"I've been a slave all my life and worked on Florana since I was very young," the Cazar explained. The female Rilgarian gave a grunt of disapproval,

"Never approved of slavery. Nasty thing, keeping creatures locked up and making them do unpaid work. It's barbaric if you ask me."

"Yet you know it goes on?" Skyla asked, a little incredulously. Jaynwae shrugged,

"It's business. I'd never deal in it, but there are plenty who do and make a profit from it. It's how they get about in life." Skyla's fists clenched and Maia put a hand on her arm as a warning. The Lombax really didn't like the casual way the Rilgarian was speaking about slavery, as if it was just another line of work, even if she claimed she disapproved.

"But you're free now, aren't you?" the woman went on, "you can do whatever you like, now. You'll probably want to go to Kerwan," she told Skyla. The Lombax frowned,

"Why would I want to go to Kerwan?"

"Because that's where the other guy is...you know," the Rilgarian waved her hand vaguely, "the other one." The Lombax was confused,

"What other one?"

"The other..." Jaynwae trailed off and looked at Skyla, brow knotted, "you don't know?"

"Don't know what?" Skyla said, her confusion growing. The Captain gaped at her for a second, then turned on Marco,

"You didn't tell her?"

"Tell me what?" Skyla exclaimed, getting a little irritated. Marco shrugged,

"I didn't see the point." Jaynwae cursed,

"You're such a selfish bastard, you know that?" Marco ignored her. His aunt sighed irritably and looked at Skyla with an almost soft expression,

"You're not..." She got no further as alarms suddenly blared all around them. Jaynwae leapt up and ran to the nearest com,

"What's the situation?" she yelled.

"There are five ships on the approach from the planet Florana. They say we've stolen their property," came a voice, crackling over the intercom, "they've given us a minute to surrender what is theirs or they will fire." Jaynwae said a very rude word before asking,

"What property?"

"They say..." there was a pause, "that we've stolen three of their slaves who are...the property of...the Collector." There was an audible gasp from the other end and it was obvious they were relaying a message as it was given. Jaynwae froze where she was and turned visibly pale.

"The Collector?" she muttered hoarsely.

"Affirmative."

"I'm on my way." The Captain released the intercom and looked around at them. To Skyla's shock, her eyes were blazing with anger and...was that fear? Marching over to her nephew, she grabbed him by his shirt and slammed him against the wall.

"The Collector? Why didn't you _tell_ me it was _the Collector_ you were under," she hissed in his face.

"Because then you would never have come for me," Marco replied, not even bothering to struggle against his aunt.

"And you didn't _think_ to mention it the _moment _you came on board?" she demanded, steam practically pouring out of her ears.

"I'm sorry!" Marco cried angrily. Jaynwae dropped him on the floor none too gently and stormed out of the mess hall. Skyla and Maia exchanged apprehensive looks and ran after the Captain.

They followed her onto the bridge of the ship where the crew were in a state of heightened anxiety as they rapidly fiddled with their station controls.

"What's our status?" the Rilgarian demanded, taking a seat in the main chair.

"We have 34 seconds before they've said they will board us and take the slaves," explained the Blarg female from the communications board, "if we resist they've said they will board by force, take the slaves, enslave the rest of the crew and destroy our cargo and ship." Jaynwae rubbed her chin nervously,

"Stand down all weaponry and divert all power to our main shield. We're not going to engage them and the last thing I want is a blood bath."

"Aye, Captain, diverting power," called a Novalian. At that point Marco stumbled into the room. Jaynwae shot daggers at him, and her hands twitched as if she wanted to throttle him,

"You're a _fool_, Marco. Now look at what you've done! They want you and the other two back and if we don't turn you in we're dead meat!" The Rilgarian had the decency to look a little ashamed, but only a little.

"I just got out of there," he argued, "there's no way I'm going back. Send them back!" he pointed at Skyla and Maia. The Lombax's fists clenched and her ears went back but Maia restrained her.

"You don't understand, idiot! The Collector never lets _anyone_ get away from him...haven't you _heard_ the stories?" Marco refused to meet her gaze and Skyla wondered what stories the Captain could be referencing. Then again, someone like Baen was bound to have a past, and a dark one if the panic of the crew was genuine.

"And now you've dragged us into this mess...and brought two of his slaves along with you! And a Lombax, no less!" Jaynwae exclaimed.

"I didn't want to bring them with me but I had no choice," Marco retorted angrily, "I needed their assistance. Send _them_ back, but not me."

"I may not have a choice, you worthless piece of meat," the Captain muttered, then her eyes flicked over to Maia and Skyla and her expression changed to contain an element of sympathy, "sorry guys, looks like you're going back down there. Marco, I'll try and talk them out of taking you, for your mother's sake. God knows I wouldn't even be here otherwise." Skyla's eyes widened at her words. Go back, when they'd come so far?

"What? No!" she cried. The older Rilgarian gave her a somewhat pained look,

"Sorry, kiddo, there's no other way and I'm not willing to risk my ship and crew." Maia's grip on Skyla's arm tightened and she felt her friend freeze up with fright. The simple gesture of terror caused Skyla's temper to bubble over.

"_No_," she snarled, ears flat against her skull, eyes crackling with energy, "we are _not _going back there." Jaynwae looked a little shocked at her ferocity,

"I wish there was something I could do," she shrugged, "but there's nothing."

"If you send us back there, I'll die," Maia said in a quiet voice.

"We'll _both_ die," Skyla corrected. A voice came over the intercom,

"Cargo ship, your time is up. Lower your shields and prepare for docking or we will fire." Jaynwae nodded at the Blarg female,

"Lower the shields, Emy, and prepare the docking port."

"Aye, Captain," the Blarg replied, "shields lowered. Ship docking in 40 seconds." Skyla pulled Maia behind her and drew herself upright, looking Jaynwae right in the eye,

"I will fight you to my last breath if I have to. I would rather die a free creature than live as a slave." Her voice was laced with steel and venom and not one creature on that bridge doubted her words. The Rilgarian Captain studied her closely, taking her in. She seemed to look beyond Skyla's blue eyes and into her mind. Jaynwae saw the raw determination in the girl's eyes and knew she would have problems were she to try and hand over her and the Cazar. Here was a creature who should never have been chained in the first place, let alone chained again.

Her mind made itself up, and though she knew she'd probably regret it, she was set. Ignoring the screaming, sane part of her mind, she rotated to her right and indicated to a female Novalian,

"You, show them to the escape pods." The Novalian gaped at her,

"What?"

"You heard me," the Captain snapped.

"But..."

"That's an order!" Jaynwae glanced at Skyla, "I can't make any promises, but this is your only chance. You'll probably be picked up outside the ship, anyway," she told them sharply.

"They're boarding, Captain," the Blarg called.

"Go!" shouted Jaynwae, shoving the stunned Novalian. She motioned for Skyla and Maia to follow her. Skyla locked eyes with the Captain once again,

"Thank you."

"Don't thank me, you'll still get caught," Jaynwae muttered drily. The Lombax turned and ran after the Novalian, dragging Maia with her. As they left, they could just hear Jaynwae's strained voice following them,

"When this is all over, Marco, you and I need to have a little chat..."

* * *

><p>Skyla and Maia followed the Novalian through the ship. A small bump told them the other ship had successfully docked. They had seconds.<p>

"Quickly, this way!" called the Novalian as they rounded another corner. Footsteps echoed in the corridor, Baen's guards were on board.

"Down there!" the Novalian yelled, gesturing the end of the passage. She ran over to a set of controls and jabbed at them furiously. Part of the wall slid away to reveal 3 hatches, each for a separate pod.

"Get in," the Novalian told them, voice raised in panic. One of the hatches flipped open and Skyla practically shoved Maia in. She was about to follow when there was a yell from the end of the hall and she looked up to see two Reapers at the end, just noticing their activities. The Novalian whimpered and shrank against the wall.

"Skyla, come on!" called Maia. The Lombax hesitated, eyes on the cowering Novalian who looked like she was about to pass out. Several shots flew past her head, hitting the surrounding area. Making a split second decision, Skyla pushed the Cazar further into the pod.

"Stay here," she muttered. Before the Reapers had time to fire again she charged them. Taken by surprise, the Reapers had little time to react as she descended on them, limbs flying with deadly precision. They were surprisingly easier to knock out than Snivelakians, possessing thinner skulls, and despite the confined space and two to one disadvantage, Skyla had quickly dealt them both knock out blows without injuring herself. She viewed her work with a nod of satisfaction,

"Right, let's go." She turned around to head back to the pods and her eyes widened in shock. Now there were only two. Rushing over to them, she looked desperately through the glass. The two remaining pods were empty. Maia was gone.

A whimper made her look down at the Novalian, still quivering like a leaf.

Grabbing her shoulders, Skyla shook the young woman violently.

"What did you do?" she hissed in her face.

"N-nothing," the terrified Novalian stuttered, "they're o-on a t-timer. They l-leave after a m-minute or s-so." Skyla cursed,

"Where's the last on headed?"

"Kerwan." Skyla yanked her over to the controls,

"Set that one for the same destination. Understand?" Head bobbing, the Novalian shakily plugged in the same co-ordinates. The hatch doors slid open and Skyla practically dived into the pod. A moment later, they closed and she was ejected into space. Looking out the glass Skyla watched as the ship grew smaller and smaller with each passing second. She saw the ship attached to the cargo chip like some great space bug. Other small ships were flying about in formation, but there was no sign of Maia's pod. The Lombaxes eyes flicked from side to side as she scoured the rapidly diminishing shapes for any pod sized ones.

Then she saw it, the unmistakeable form of a pod flying in space near the ship. Skyla's heart leapt as it began to move towards her.

What happened next shocked Skyla to the very core of her being. One of Baen's ships broke from their formation and swept past the pod, firing several shots as it did. The shots were well placed and the pod exploded in a mini fireball, the red flames quickly dying in the vacuum of space, leaving a blackness with bits of debris flying everywhere.

Skyla gave a howl akin to a wounded animal and her fingers scrabbled at the glass, as if she could somehow reach the pod through the distance of space that separated them.

Another ship broke formation and loomed towards her, bearing down on her like some great beast. It fired one, two, then three shots.

The pod shook violently and a single alarm began blaring in Skyla's ears. They seemed to pick up speed as the pod began spiralling out of control. There was a small explosion to her left and she was blasted with the brief heat of fire.

Skyla closed her eyes as faces flashed before her eyes. Maia, Jaymz, Xavier...everyone she loved and cared for was there before her.

A single tear trickled down the Lombax's face.

Then all was black.


	10. The Forest

Skyla wasn't sure what first brought her to her senses, the pounding in her head or the smell of melted metal. But both told her one thing – she was alive. But how?

As feeling returned to her limbs she tried to move her hands, with little success. Her eyes fluttered open and she blinked groggily, but there was something sticky over one of her eyes which she couldn't clear. She felt sick and dizzy and...upside down. She tried to move her leg and was rapidly brought crashing down into full consciousness as pain shot through her limb. Biting her lip to hold back a yell of pain, Skyla tasted blood and realised her mouth was already bleeding from a cut on her upper lip. Raising her head as best she could she looked around.

Though her view was greatly restricted, she could immediately see she was still in the escape pod. But she was no longer in space as they weren't moving and natural light streamed through gaps in the hull. Said gaps looked like they'd been ripped open by some great force, and the metal was still smoking. Her body had been yanked upright and she now lay flat against the back of the pod with her head just inches from the floor. Her leg, she realised, was trapped under a chunk of folded in metal. Taking a deep breath, she began inching it out bit by bit. Although her whole body was positively screaming in pain, she slowly but surely pulled herself free and collapsed to the floor. A whimper of pain escaped her lips as her head hit the side of the pod and waves of nausea washed over her. Ignoring her protesting body, the Lombax pulled herself into an upright sitting position to find out how badly damaged she was.

There was a nasty gash in her leg where the metal had bitten into her flesh, and her trouser leg was in tatters. Her whole limb looked like it'd been mangled by some great beast. Aside from this, she was covered in cuts and bruises, and even found a few shards of metal lodged here and there. It took all her self control not to cry out as she set about pulling the pieces from her body. Once that was done, she raised a hand to her head to find out what covered her eye. It came away sticky and red and she realised her head had been gashed too, the blood seeping over her eye, gluing it shut. She'd need water to clear it. Touching her ears lightly, she was relieved to find them mostly intact, with only a few cuts on the outside. With her one free eye she looked about the place for a way out. The pod hatch looked battered and the glass was cracked from side to side, it looked a good place to start.

Gathering her strength she hauled herself towards it in hope. Hand on the glass, she gave it a firm push. To her immense relief, the hatch swung open with little protest and more light entered the pod, along with fresh air. Her nostrils flared as she took in the scent. It was fresh, and incredibly so. In fact, it smelled just like Florana...but not as tropical. This smelt earthier, somehow.

It took a while, and a great deal of effort, but Skyla finally extracted herself form the wrecked pod. Outside, she found herself surrounded by chunks of metal and deep gouges in the ground. She'd crashed, and survived. Somehow.

Leaning against the wall of the pod, Skyla took a moment to register her surroundings. Her head throbbed acutely making her vision swim, but she managed to establish where she was.

She was in a forest, but not one on Florana. This one was far less exotic and had trees you could actually see the tops of. The plant-life seemed accustomed to a milder climate and there was no sign of any swamps or tropical life around. There were no bright colours springing out at her from the undergrowth, it was all different shades of green and brown, but still managed to look attractive. There was light birdsong coming from the trees, and Skyla took that as a good sign. Leaf bits were fluttering around her and she looked up. There was a large hole in the tree canopy where she presumed her pod had crashed through, and sunlight flowed down to her like a waterfall.

Having taken in as much as she could in her present state, Skyla set about moving. Heaving her body back to the pod entrance, she scanned it quickly for anything that could be of use. She found the smashed remains of a first aid kit, but all the equipment was ruined and unusable. She'd have to find something else for her wounds.

Satisfied she could find nothing of value in the pod, she retreated into the woodland, distancing herself as far as possible from the wreckage.

Only as she began limping away from the crash site did her memories finally start to return, like a flash flood in her mind. The ship, Marco, Jaynwae, being boarded, the escape pods, Maia...

The Lombax nearly fell over in shock as she remembered, only just catching herself on a nearby tree trunk. Nausea swept over her in brutal waves and, doubling over, she vomited onto the ground. Her body heaved as her stomach emptied itself of its contents and she shook violently as the moment passed. Once she'd finished, she spat to clear her mouth and shuddered.

Maia. Her best friend, her rock, her sister. Jaymz too. The two creatures in the galaxy she couldn't imagine living without, the two creatures in the universe she considered family, the two creatures she would lay down her life for...snatched from her in one cruel night.

Skyla nearly crumpled in a heap there and then, part of her wanting to wait for death to claim her from any one of her many injuries. It wouldn't be difficult to die. All she had to do was wait as her life's blood slowly seeped out of her. Then she'd see them again. She closed her eyes, wondering how long it would take for her to bleed to death and whether she'd be conscious of it happening. But even as she thought of it, she heard Maia's voice in her head, _'__don't give up, Sky. You still have hope. You can still help the others.' 'Yeah, Sky,' _it was Jaymz's voice now, _'help the others, they're the ones who need you now.'_

'_Please, Sky...don't give up,'_ Maia's voice, even in her head, sounded so real and life-like. It was as if she was actually there, asking Skyla to her face, pleading her with her soft hazel eyes, so full of love. She couldn't just give up, not now when she'd come so far. Maia and Jaymz would never forgive her if she let death take her when she was so near the finish line. She had a task to complete. With this in mind, strengthening her limbs, Skyla pushed away from the tree, and stumbled on.

* * *

><p>Several hours later, Skyla was still alive and wandering the forest in search of any other creatures who might be able to help her. She had to find a way to contact the authorities, she simply had to. Her friends needed to be saved. That was now her main priority.<p>

But the forest seemed devoid of any sentient life. There were definitely other creatures about as she'd seen a few birds and what looked like 6 legged deer wandering about with great green antlers. And sentient life had definitely been here at some point, as every now and then she would find a felled tree. None of them were very recent, but they didn't look too old either, as the layer of moss covering them was thin and rot had yet to set into the trunk. And that gave Skyla hope.

On she trekked, through the woodland, in as straight a direction as she could manage.

But with every step she took she felt herself growing weaker and weaker, and she knew that if she didn't find help soon, or at least take a rest, she'd probably pass out from blood loss. Whether she would wake up again was another matter. However, Skyla was a Lombax and their stubbornness was well renowned along with their pride, and she was no exception. She wasn't going to let her injuries get the better of her, so it wasn't until she was nearly dead on her feet that she finally stopped to rest.

She leaned against a thick tree as she breathed evenly, trying to regulate her breath and clear the spots from her vision. More waves of nausea swept over her in sickening pulses and she felt like she was about to throw up again.

Then she heard it, a gentle trickling sound which just caught her sensitive ears. Raising her head, she turned this way and that in search of the source. It sounded like a stream. And streams meant water.

The thought of finding fresh, cool water gave her a small spark of energy and she set off again with a new determination. Her whole body aching, it took her a while and more than one stop to rest and pinpoint the right direction, but she eventually left the shelter of the trees and was presented with a stream.

It wasn't large, only a couple of metres wide, but it was flowing merrily along, babbling softly as it hopped and skipped over rocks and stones lying in its path. It wasn't that deep either, only a few feet by the looks of it.

Skyla stumbled towards it and practically threw herself in. A gasp escaped her as the cold water set its teeth into her injured leg and bit down hard. But she refused to withdraw, instead washing more water over her leg, encouraging it to seek out the dirt and grime, cleansing the wound as best as she could. Once her leg looked less mangled, she set about cleaning her other wounds. She worked from bottom to top, starting with her feet by removing the remains of her shoes and scooping water over her toes. Then she saw to her other leg, and gradually travelled up her body, making sure every inch was treated to a good wash and scrub.

The water around her flowed red with her blood but she didn't care as it was soon washed away along with the current. Her head she treated carefully, rinsing her eye of the dried blood and gently washing the cut on her brow. Her hair had matted against her head as well and there were so many knots, she was forced to dunk her whole head under the water and meticulously comb her fingers through the locks to get rid of all the blood. She thought about swimming, but decided against it. She'd never learnt to swim properly, and besides, the water wasn't quite deep enough. So she settled for dipping her whole body in the stream and letting the water flow all over her, soaking her clothes and fur.

Sitting upright again, she scooped handfuls of water to her lips and slurped thirstily. Rinsing her mouth completely of the taste of blood and vomit, she proceeded to glug down several more mouthfuls. The water hit her stomach like a kick in the gut and succeeded in temporarily reviving her from her half-dead state. But it wasn't long before her energy levels began to nose dive as exhaustion finally caught up with her. Adrenalin only lasted so long, even for a Lombax.

Dragging herself from the water she flopped onto the bank, chest heaving slightly from exertion. Too tired to argue with her inner voice warning her not to rest in the open, she chose to ignore it and prayed she wouldn't regret it later. Closing her eyes, it was only a matter of seconds before she was unconscious once more.

* * *

><p>Skyla came to and lay very still where she was. Something had woken her...but what? Her ears lay rigid as she strained for the source of what had shaken her from her slumber. There it was! Very faint rustling from the trees. The quiet snap of a twig and the distinct feeling of being watched told the Lombax she wasn't alone.<p>

Remaining motionless she waited for more movement. Maybe it was one of those deer? But they would make more noise and wouldn't come near her, especially when she smelt so badly of blood, surely...? It wasn't long before the sounds of creatures moving amongst the undergrowth could be heard coming closer and closer. Then she heard a voice from nearby. It was definitely not a deer. It spoke quietly and in a language she'd never heard before. It sounded like the laughter of the trees, the chuckling of a brook and the gentle call of the wind, all in one voice. It was beautiful. But who was its speaker? From the tone of the voice she could tell it was asking a question, and sure enough, another voice answered in the same tongue and there was more movement. Skyla could feel them just feet from her position. They knew of her presence, she was sure. But what were they doing, exactly?

Making up her mind in a split second, she leapt to her feet. With hindsight, and even foresight, this wasn't the best thing for a badly injured Lombax to do. Overbalancing slightly she set her feet apart to steady herself and waited for the throbbing in her head to die. She glared angrily into the undergrowth as if it were somehow responsible for her mistake.

What she saw surprised her completely.

Though her vision swam considerably, she could just make out the two creatures in front of her, hard to distinguish from the trees themselves. They were tall, at least 6 foot and dark green in colour. But unlike Rilgarian skin, their body seemed to be covered with a sort of green shell, like an insect. What looked like moss covered their legs and forearms as some sort of clothing, along with a thick belt with unidentifiable items strapped to it. They had flat, paddle like feet that were bare on the ground and their hands were quite bizarre as they possessed three fingers and one thumb, with the outmost digit being at least twice the length of the others. They wore a variety of pendants that hung on their bare chests though Skyla couldn't make out the details. Their faces were oval in shape with tiny slits for nostrils, small line mouths with no visible lips, no hair on their heads and the most magnificent large green eyes, also oval shaped, that took up at least a third of their face.

The one on Skyla's left pointed a spear like thing at her and spoke again in their liquid language. It sounded like a question, but she didn't understand them.

"I don't understand you," she told them in a croaky voice, eyeing the spear warily. It didn't look particularly sharp and they didn't look particularly threatening, but Skyla knew better than to judge from appearance alone. The two creatures exchanged glances and the other one stepped forward a little, making Skyla step back. It said something else. The Lombax shook her head,

"I don't understand you," she repeated, "can you understand me?" The creature who'd first asked her a question muttered something to his (she took them both to be male) friend. They conversed quietly for a moment.

"Can you understand me?" Skyla repeated slowly, "I need help." She had no idea who these creatures were as she'd never even heard of a species like them. But they looked harmless enough (without the spear) and she thought it was worth a shot to ask for their aid. The males seemed to come to a conclusion and one drew a tube from his belt. Slotting something into it he raised it to his mouth, pointing at Skyla. Alarm bells began ringing in the Lombax's head,

"What are you-?" but she got no further as the creature gave a harsh puff. Something shot out of the tube and Skyla had no time to react as it buried itself into her arm. Plucking it out, she realised it was a dart. She opened her mouth to shout, but no sound came out. Her legs suddenly gave way beneath her and she collapsed in a heap on the ground. But she felt no pain as a numbing sensation spread through her limbs. Black spots appeared before her eyes and she struggled to move, but it felt like she was trying to swim in treacle. The faces of the creatures loomed over her and spoke liquid nonsense to her face as she fought the drug in a desperate attempt to stay awake. But alas, resistance proved futile and the darkness swept over Skyla, and took her for its own.


	11. Where am I?

Skyla came to slowly but surely, like an anchor being pulled from the depths of the ocean. Something cool lay on her brow and it felt lovely and refreshing. But the rest of her body was awash with pain and complaining wholeheartedly about her treatment. Memory soon followed feeling and her eyes snapped open.

The creatures! They'd shot her...with a dart, some sort of drug...

She shot upright but immediately regretted it as her head protested at the sudden movement. Something fell onto her lap and the coolness left her brow. She blinked several times to make sure she was awake, then raised her head to look around her.

Skyla was surprised to find herself in an actual bed with a blanket, and she appeared to be in some sort of dwelling. The whole place was dome shaped and the walls and the ceiling seemed to be made of a mixture of moss and tree bark. There were several oval shaped torches hanging around the wall, giving off a pale green glow, and it was them and a large gap in the wall Skyla took to be the entrance that provided light for the room. It was obvious someone lived here as there was the bed and other bits of furniture scattered about that indicated a sentient dweller. But at the moment, there was no-one around.

The Lombax's ears twitched as they picked up sounds coming from outside, movement and voices, though she couldn't quite hear what they were saying. It sounded like there were quite a few of them.

She stiffened as a shadow approached and a figure entered the dome.

"Ah, you are awake," it said, moving over to where Skyla lay and setting down several objects on a nearby table. Skyla shifted away from it slightly and observed it suspiciously.

This creature was quite obviously the same species as the males as it had many similar features. But this one was very distinctly female. For a start she was at least half a foot shorter than the males, and her skin was light lilac in colour but looked the same in texture. Her eyes were also lilac, as was her hair which fell straight down her back like a sheet of paper. She wore a soft green dress that appeared to be made of petals and leaves, sewn together with such skill it looked like something you could pick off a tree. Creases around the creatures face and the slight grey tint to her hair told Skyla this creature was an elder of its kind.

"How are you feeling?" it asked, blinking its wide lilac eyes at her. Skyla frowned ever so slightly,

"Where am I?" she blurted bluntly.

"You are in my home," the creature gestured around the dome. Skyla glanced about the place again before narrowing her eyes at the creature,

"Who are you?"

"I am Heryn Naneth," the female replied calmly.

"What planet am I on?"

"Eudora."

"Eudora?" Skyla had heard of the place, a planet covered by great forests and a few small oceans. That made sense.

"Yes, Eudora, in the Baran forest," the creature told her. Reaching forward, Skyla flinched as she took something from her lap, it was a square of blue plant-like material folded into a usable cloth. The woman held it out to her, but Skyla simply eyed it warily.

"You are safe now," the elder said. Skyla let out a small mirthless laugh, then froze. _Safe now_...but that wasn't true, not yet. She needed to get hold of the authorities, time was of the essence! She made to get up, but the creature called Heryn pushed her down again.

"No, you are badly wounded and need to rest," she said firmly.

"I need to contact the authorities...I need to help my friends!" the Lombax cried, panic beginning to set in. How long had she been out? Certainly long enough for Baen to be searching for her, what if she was caught before she managed to alert the government? She couldn't let that happen, she _wouldn't_let that happen.

"You cannot help your friends in your current state," the woman told her and Skyla instinctively glanced down at herself, lifting the covers as she did. Her body showed all the signs of the abuse she'd been through. Her leg, although not bleeding anymore, looked a mess, and her whole body ached with bruises that had started to form, visible even through her fur in various shades of yellow, black and purple. As if to contribute to her assessment, her head throbbed acutely and spots appeared before her eyes. Groaning, she let the cover fall back and put a hand to her head.

"How long was I out?" she murmured, more to herself than the elder.

"Nearly a day," Heryn replied anyway, "I am sorry about how you were treated, it was wrong and irresponsible of Lhach and Beleg to shoot you like some common animal. As soon as you are feeling better, I will have them apologise to you."

"I didn't think they spoke my language," Skyla said somewhat suspiciously, her panic temporarily subsiding as she concentrated on understanding her current situation .

"They do not, but I do", came the answer. Skyla looked at the creature inquisitively,

"What are you?" she said, her curiosity getting the better of her.

"I am an Enyd," Heryn told her.

"I've never heard of them," Skyla admitted.

"I am not surprised, the Enyd are a secluded race and we rarely leave the surface of a planet, and we never involve ourselves in galactic affairs." As she spoke, Heryn picked up the objects she'd brought in with her, a curious assortment of plants. She began stripping a yellow flower of its petals. Skyla watched quietly as she crushed the petals with a curved instrument into a bowl and added a few drops of water, turning it into a thick paste. Heryn put in a few other plants and poured more water into the bowl. Once it was reasonably liquid, the Enyd tipped the mixture into a wooden beaker and tasted it. She nodded in satisfaction and held out the beaker for the Lombax,

"Here, drink this," she said. Skyla eyed the beaker warily and made no move to take it.

"It will help your body to heal faster," Heryn explained, "it is perfectly safe." Hesitantly, Skyla accepted the beaker but didn't drink from it just yet.

"Why are you helping me?" she asked with intrigue.

"It is not the Enyd way to leave the wounded in the dirt. We are a peaceful race and strive to heal, not harm," Heryn told her sincerely, clearing away her potion making equipment, "please, drink it. You will feel better." The woman got up, taking the bowl with her as she crossed the room. Skyla studied the contents of the beaker. It was a green-ish yellow liquid that managed to look vaguely appealing, it looked a little like liquidised leaves and sunlight. Slowly, she raised the beaker to her nose and took a subtle sniff. A pleasant, fresh odour hit her nostrils, to her surprise. She took a tiny sip to test the mixture. It tasted cool and sweet and reminded Skyla of spring at the facility, when all the plants were flowering and the air was thick with the fresh smell of life. It was not at all unpleasant, and actually had a rather nice flavour. Not to mention that when she swallowed, a cool sensation swept through her body like a bolt of electricity. The pain in her head lessened and she even felt more alert.

Throwing caution to the wind, Skyla downed the rest of the mixture in one go. A cool feeling washed through her like a river, and she could almost feel the cells in her body start to work again with a new healing energy. The pain died down all over and Skyla felt much better for it.

Heryn returned to her side carrying strips of damp looking leaves that resembled cloth and a bowl full of purple liquid with blobs of moss in it. She gestured Skyla's leg and held up the strips,

"May I?" Skyla only hesitated briefly before nodding her assent, the elder did not seem at all hostile and appeared willing to help. The woman gently raised Skyla's leg above the covers with careful hands and rolled up the tattered trouser leg so she could get to the wound easily. She then began wrapping the strips around the injured part. To Skyla's alarm, as soon as the strips touched her flesh they clung to her leg, as if on their own accord. She glanced at Heryn,

"These are _Ess_Leaves. They are the best natural healing plant on the planet, and one of the best in the universe. They bind to a wound and fall away naturally when it is healed," the Enyd explained calmly as she continued to apply the leaves. When she was done, it looked like Skyla was wearing a green leg warmer. Almost immediately after the leaves were applied, the Lombax felt her leg go numb around that area, as if her limb was being shut down for reconstruction.

"You will still be able to walk," Heryn said in answer to her patient's worried look, 'but you will need to rest for a few days, possibly a week." Skyla frowned, a week? She didn't _have_ a week. She opened her mouth to say this to Heryn but was interrupted as another figure entered the dome.

"_Naneth.."_' it said then stopped abruptly as it registered that Skyla was awake. This new creature looked similar to Heryn, another female Enyd. But this one had light blue skin, a short white dress and looked younger. She looked at the Lombax in fascination and said something to Heryn in the liquid language Skyla had heard spoken by the two males. Heryn replied in the same tongue and the younger female came forward, towards Skyla.

"This is my daughter, Heryniel," the elder introduced the girl who dipped Skyla a neat curtsy.

"H-How are you...feeling?" the girl asked, her words a little hesitant. It was clear she wasn't used to speaking the galactic language, and the tongue was alien to her.

"Much better, thank you," Skyla replied slowly and with a smile, she could see the effort the girl was making to communicate and the curtsy had been rather cute (though Skyla was a little embarrassed by it). The girl beamed, obviously thrilled she'd been understood,

"What is your...name?" she asked more confidently.

"My name is Skyla," the Lombax told her.

"Skyla," the girl seemed to roll the name around her tongue, "pretty name," she announced with a bright smile. Skyla felt herself warming to the creature. Heryn held up one of the moss balls soaked in the purple liquid and indicated Skyla's cuts and bruises.

"May I?" she asked again. Skyla nodded without too much hesitation and sat still while the elder began dabbing her various small injuries. The mixture stung a little, but it felt exactly like one of Xavier's antiseptic creams so Skyla wasn't worried. The thought of the Peluchian scientist caused a pang of longing in the Lombax's heart. She wondered if he'd ever heard of _Ess_ leaves, as he'd probably have a field day with them and all the natural remedies Skyla had been given. Shoving thoughts of the professor aside, Skyla focused on Heryniel who edged closer to her bed every second. She seemed to be staring at Skyla's ears.

"What are them?" she said. Heryn murmured something to her daughter and the girl thought a moment.

"What are they?" she tried again and smiled as Heryn nodded.

"They are my ears," Skyla told her. The young Enyd's eyes widened,

"Ears? But...they are so..." she waved her hand, "big!" she finally said. Skyla's mouth twitched into a small smile,

"All my species have big ears," she said, then frowned, "at least, I think they do." She wasn't sure. What if Lombax's didn't all have big ears? What if she was a rarity, a mutation? She shook her head slightly; those thoughts were both maddening and depressing.

"How are you...here?" Heryniel asked, glancing at the bed. Skyla shifted her body over a bit and the girl sat down with a grateful smile.

"I was in an escape pod...but then I was shot and crashed here," Skyla explained, wincing as Maia's face flashed before her eyes. Tears stung her vision but she blinked them away furiously, she had to see to the future before she could mourn the past.

"You are s-safe now. We will...look after you," Heryniel told her solemnly and Skyla felt genuinely touched by the girl's sincerity.

"Thank you," she said with as much feeling as she could. Then a thought sprang to mind,

"Do you have a communication system I can use to contact the authorities? I might not be able to go to them myself, but I need to get to them before Ba-...before something bad happens," she said, just keeping herself from revealing who was pursuing her. To her surprise and dismay, Heryn shook her head.

"No, we have no technology." Skyla frowned,

"None at all?" she asked sceptically. The elder nodded,

"The Enyd are a purely biological race. All our resources, our food, our homes, our clothes, are grown naturally or made from natural materials. We have no use of machines or metal."

"Oh," Skyla's heart fell, "but surely there are other inhabitants nearby?" she asked, though it was a little half-hearted. Once again Heryn shook her head,

"There are no other inhabitants on the planet." The Lombax's brow knotted in confusion,

"On the whole planet?" Another nod from Heryn,

"Several years ago, a Blarg tried to deforest the entire planet for his own gain," she explained, "he was stopped but the forests were badly scarred. The government issued a law stating that no technology may be used on the planet's surface for one hundred years and no trees were to be destroyed. We, the Enyd, are allowed to dwell here because we do not use technology and our kind has ways of encouraging plant growth."

"I see..." mumbled Skyla, "so there's no way for me to contact the authorities?"

"Not that we possess," Heryn answered. The Lombax felt her heart fall. Her goal, which had seemed so close, had now jumped a mile away. It was a '1 step forward, 2 steps back' problem. If there was no way to fetch help...it was only a matter of time before Baen found her. She felt like crying in frustration, but didn't dare let herself, especially not in front of Heryn and her daughter.

"But..." Heryniel's voice was like a light in her mind and Skyla felt her hope flicker. She glanced up at the girl, who looked at her mother,

"There is the old...metal place," she said, though she looked a little uncertain. Heryn frowned as she appeared to remember,

"The old settlement? But it is in ruins and none of the equipment is of any use."

"Some is," Heryniel said. Heryn looked at her in surprise,

'And how would you know that?'

"I...went there, once. Not...long ago. The...glass paper in the wall was...flashing," the girl said, slightly struggling to hold a full conversation in an alien tongue. Heryn's expression of surprise deepened,

"You went there? Alone...?"

"With Lhach," murmured the girl and looked down, her cheeks turning a distinct shade of blue which Skyla took to be a blush. The Lombax watched in vague amusement as the two Enyd went on to have a conversation in their own language which sounded very much like a mother interrogating her daughter about a boy, which it probably was. When they were done, Heryn turned back to Skyla.

"It appears I may have been mistaken. If what my daughter says is true, then there may be working technology at the old settlement which might be of use to you." Skyla's heart skipped a beat,

"Really? Where is it?"

"About a day's journey from here on _Medisalch_ back. It is one of the sites the Blarg set up when he was here."

"I've got to there," Skyla said and tried to get up again. Heryn pushed her down for the second time,

"You need to rest, Skyla, for at least three days before you can go anywhere on a whole day's journey."

"Three days?" exclaimed the Lombax, "I don't have three days! In three days Ba-..." Skyla stopped abruptly, she really needed to watch her mouth, "I don't have three days," she said simply.

"I assure you, were your injuries less severe I would let you go this day. But your body has taken a harsh beating and needs time to heal or you may inflict greater, permanent damage on it," Heryn told her and from the tone of her voice, Skyla knew she was serious. The Lombax sighed heavily,

"Heryn, I can't stay here," she paused, wondering how much she could safely divulge, "bad people are out looking for me," she phrased her words carefully, "and if they find me with you...you will probably get hurt...very badly." Skyla tried to emphasise the gravity of her situation using simple words, but Heryn smiled ever so slightly.

"They will have a hard time finding you in the expanse of forest. The tree canopy is too thick for radar or bio-scans and the flora and fauna too diverse to tell our dwelling from a herd of _Medisalch._A government satellite orbits the planet for spatial activity so the chances are your crash will already have been noted by them, and any ship attempting to land here would definitely be noticed. You are safe." Skyla fidgeted, she wanted to believe Heryn. But she knew Baen, and he'd definitely have a few tricks up his sleeve.

"You don't understand..." she began.

"Skyla," Heryn said in such a firm voice that the Lombax looked up at her in mild shock, that was exactly the voice Maia used when she wanted the Lombax to listen to her seriously. The Enyd went on, "you need to rest and you will be safe here for three days. Whoever it is who is after you will not be able to find you in that time. As it stands, no-one but a few government officials know we are here and even they do not know our exact location. Few others know our race even exists." Reaching out, she took Skyla's hand in her own and looked directly into the Lombax's blue eyes, "you are safe."


	12. The Enyd

Heryn didn't let Skyla get out of bed for a whole day, no matter how much the Lombax protested. But the Enyd kept her patient well treated and made sure she always had something to do or someone to talk to. True to her word, during the first evening of Skyla's stay with the Enyd, Heryn brought in the two young males the Lombax recognised as the ones who had shot her. They apologised profusely for their actions and with much embarrassment, Heryn and Heryniel acting as translators. Skyla noticed the relationship between the blue skinned female and one of the males called Lhach seemed very close from the secret caressing and shy looks, and she wondered if they were together in any way.

Heryniel spent a lot of time with Skyla and seemed eager to learn more about life off the planet's surface. There was only so much Skyla could tell her, having only been on two worlds, but she did her best, drawing on what Maia and Jaymz had told her over the years. She'd never be as good a story teller as the Rilgarian, but the young Enyd seemed satisfied with her narrative.

There were a few language barriers that needed to be overcome. Heryniel, although reasonably fluent in Skyla's tongue, stumbled every now and again and often asked for her mother's help. Heryn, however, was not always present to translate so the drawing of images to communicate became a way of the Lombax and Enyd understanding each other. Skyla did her best to help the girl, but it seemed the Enyd language was a lot different to the galactic tongue. At her request, Heryniel taught Skyla a few words in the Enyd language which the Lombax did her best to remember. But the tongue was complex and alien to Skyla. It revolved around literal sense and the names of things reflected what they were or what they did. _Heryn Naneth_ was the title given to the matriarchal leader of the Enyd and literally translated as 'Lady Mother'. As the daughter of the _Heryn Naneth_, Heryniel's name meant 'Lady's Daughter'. The girl's father, who had died several years ago was called _Ohtar Ada_ which meant 'Warrior Father', and it turned out Heryniel had a twin brother called _Ohtariond _or 'Warrior's Son'. Although the language itself was relatively simple, how you strung your words together and where you enunciated your vowels made all the difference. Skyla quickly came to the conclusion that she did not have a head for languages, and only remembered the simplest phrases.

When Heryn finally allowed Skyla to get out of bed, she insisted on the Lombax using crutches to get about. Having already decided it was pointless to argue with the elder, Skyla grudgingly agreed; anything to get her out of bed. Outside the dome dwelling she was surprise to find herself in what appeared to be a small village. Similar dome buildings were dotted everywhere and there was a round clearing outside the front of Heryn's home where many Enyd were to be found, socialising and going about their daily activities. To Skyla's surprise, there were not only Enyd on the ground, but also in the air, flying on wings like dragonflies. When she wondered aloud about this to Heryniel the girl revealed that she too had wings. Fascinated, Skyla began to ask questions about the Enyd which Heryniel answered happily. She took Skyla on a tour around the village, something which the young Enyd had never done. She seemed to thoroughly enjoy it, telling Skyla all about her people and their way of life. Skyla listened in silence, taking it all in quiet awe.

Females, it seemed were the dominant gender and a family line passed down through a daughter, not a son. All females had wings and their skin colour varied, but was always light, unlike the males who were wingless and every one of them a leafy green colour. Collectively, females were known as _Heryn_ but never called _Heryn_ individually, unless they were meant to hold that title. Males were the _Ohtar_ but again, not known as that individually unless they were the mate of a _Heryn Naneth._ Every creature wore clothes made out of natural materials, and all their utensils were natural too. Not a single piece of metal or synthetic material could be found in the entire village.

The village itself consisted mainly of family homes, each a single dome roughly the same size as each other, with one opening. A vast tree canopy covered the whole village from above, like some great roof. This was reinforced by trees scattered here and there, each stretching right up to the top and contributing to the canopy. Light still manage to get through, though, trickling down through the leaves and making the surrounding area light up with a bright yellow/green glow.

Enyd sat around the central clearing that seemed to double as the village square, chatting and engaging in activities that looked like sewing and cooking. And there were children. Everywhere Skyla went there were children running about of all ages, laughing and playing. The Lombax rapidly became the centre of attention when she emerged for the first time as the Enyd had never seen her kind before and the children had never met a creature with fur and large ears.

Heryniel did her best to keep them away, but she was a little overwhelmed as the little Enyd flocked around Skyla to feel her fur and ears. Skyla simply stood patiently as they did, smiling at their noises of exclamation and wonder. At one point, there was a gentle tug on one of her ears from above and she looked up to see two young Enyd girls staring at her with open curiosity. The adults watched quietly from where they sat, a mixture of expressions on their faces. Some looked on warily, as if unsure how Skyla would react, where others smiled softly at the antics of their young.

All of the children had questions about Skyla's appearance which the Lombax did her best to answer, with Heryniel's help. She even told them what she knew about male Lombaxes and how they had tails, which seemed to cause the most excitement among the children.

As Skyla moved on around the village, some of the children followed despite Heryniel's efforts to chase them off. The Lombax noticed that most of the children seemed to come in pairs and she mentioned this to Heryniel. To her surprise, she found out that every Enyd was a twin. When a female Enyd mated, she always gave birth to twins - one girl, one boy. And they could only ever have one set of twins, so choosing the right mate was very important to the Enyd. Heryniel told Skyla that females could mate once they'd reach the age of 14, or they could wait until they felt they were ready. Males were not allowed to mate until they were 18 and if they did not have a mate by the age of 22, they were never allowed to have children (though apparently, this was incredibly rare and had something to do with bad luck and superstition). Age was not an obstacle in their culture. Lhach, the male Heryniel wanted to mate with, was three years her junior and not yet 18. But he would be, in a few months, Heryniel told Skyla with a small blush.

All the talk of finding a mate and being surrounded by so many children made Skyla think. She would never have a mate, never have her own children, not of her own species anyway. It was cruelly ironic that she was the last of her kind...and female. If there was but one other male, their race would survive for that much longer. But there wasn't, and never would be.

The day wore on and Heryniel kept Skyla occupied all the time. The Lombax asked many questions about the Enyd to keep herself from dwelling on her lonely existence, but other thoughts found ways of wriggling into her mind. Like when one of the children asked her where her parents were, she didn't know how to reply. She had no parents, at least, not any more. She didn't even know if she'd known her parents at all, as her earliest memories were of Hoven and its icy coldness. She didn't know anything about her mother or father, and never would. After that, the question seemed to take ahold of her mind and she started seeing parents everywhere. Males and females together, looking after their young, sharing secretive looks of love and affection. Taking care of their children with a tenderness Skyla had never experienced. As time passed, it became harder and harder for Skyla to concentrate on what Heryniel was saying. The young Enyd noticed something was wrong and tried to help by asking about her own life, but this only drove Skyla deeper into thought and the Enyd soon abandoned her quest.

* * *

><p>That night, Skyla lay in bed thinking. She'd never really thought of having children, it had never occurred to her as a slave. But if everything worked out and she gained her freedom...who knows what would happen? It was a big galaxy out there, surely she could find a special someone to help her integrate back into a relatively normal life involving a real home, a job, bills to pay, and children. Would she even make a good mother? She didn't know the first thing about childcare, and had no parents of her own to help her. Maia could easily have passed for Skyla's older sister and had been the central mother figure of the Lombax's life. But she was gone and couldn't help. If Skyla had children...what would she do with them? Did she even have motherly instincts? She was sure she'd be a hopeless mother...but at the same time, Skyla felt a twinge in her heart as she sensed the beginning of a yearning to be a parent. She began to want her own children running around and laughing, free and careless and innocent. She wanted to have children so they could have the childhood she never had.<p>

Her own childhood was a blur, and she could remember very little detail. She hadn't been born on Hoven, that much she knew. But how she got there, she didn't know. How she wished with all her heart she did. Maybe if she knew who her parents were, she'd find out more about herself too. Who were they? Where had they lived? Were there others? Were they alone? Did they look after her? Did they love her? Did they try and stop her being enslaved...?

Sighing, Skyla shoved thoughts of family from her mind. Both the families she might have had were dead, and nothing could bring them back. It was time to move on...

* * *

><p>Fate seemed to have a different opinion as that night, Skyla had a dream. In it, she was back at the facility, but it was completely deserted. She walked down corridor after corridor, not once finding any sign of life. Every room she came across was empty and the whole place felt desolate and lifeless. Then a shadow moved down the hall and she ran to find its source. When she turned the corner, she was suddenly confronted with a wall of outer space, as if taking one more step would send her into a vacuum. Without warning, Maia's face appeared before her, looking so very sad.<p>

"_Why did you let me die, Skyla?"_ the Cazar asked sorrowfully, _"you said we would make it...you promised I wouldn't die_." Skyla opened her mouth to tell her friend how sorry she was and that she would trade her own life for Maia's, if she could. But she couldn't speak. Jaymz's face appeared next to Maia's and he was frowning.

"_You lied to us, Sky. You said we'd make it...but we didn't. Only you did. Why did you let us die?" _his voice sounded so severe and unlike him that Skyla felt her heart wrench at the ridiculing tone. She tried to say sorry again, but then Cornelius and Xavier's faces appeared.

"_You thought it would be an adventure, didn't you, Sky?" _the smaller scientist said, _"you thought it would be fun to escape."_

"_But now look what you've done,"_ Xavier said, _"your two best friends are dead and you're stuck on a primitive planet."_ Skyla wanted so desperately to tell them how awful she felt about everything, and that she was only still alive to help Xavier and Cornelius.

"_Skyla..."_ a new voice spoke from behind her and the Lombax turned to see two shadows before her. Both were blurred, but their shapes looked similar to that of two Lombaxes.

"_Why did you abandon your friends, Skyla?"_ the voice asked and the Lombax recognised it to be distinctly feminine, and so very familiar sounding...

"_No daughter of mine would have abandoned her friends like that,"_ said another voice, a male one. It clicked in Skyla's mind.

"Mother? Father?" she said, finally finding her voice, though it cracked with emotion, even in her dream.

"_We were...once. But now...what happened to us, Skyla?" _ the female voice asked. Skyla tried to reply that she didn't know, but found she couldn't.

"_Maybe it's a good thing we're gone..."_ the male went on, "_then we would not have to face the shame of a coward for a daughter." _ Skyla stood where she was, completely stunned and utterly heartbroken by their words. Her mouth opened a closed in shock, too frozen to cry.

"Why are you saying such things?" she whispered hoarsely.

"_We are only saying what is in your head...and you know that it cannot last," _the male said, but his voice began morphing toward the end and turned into a voice she knew all too well. She gasped and made to step back but just stopped herself from falling into the nothing. She shook her head.

"No," she murmured, shaking her head. The shadows before her merged into one and moved forward. Baen stood before her, a maniacal grin on his face.

"_Yes, my dear,"_ he said, _"and now...it is time for you to return to me."_ Skyla's eyes widened but before she could react he suddenly lunged towards her, pushing her back. Unable to stop herself, Skyla fell backwards into the space, and the darkness enveloped her.

* * *

><p>Skyla sat bolt upright, breathing heavily and fighting the urge to yell, scream and cry all at once. Her whole body was shaking and her brow coated with flecks of sweat.<p>

"Skyla?" her head snapped around to see Heryn watching her from the other side of the dome. She was still with the Enyd, she wasn't back at the facility. Skyla's shoulders slumped and part of her wondered if she wanted the whole thing to be a dream. If the whole thing was a dream, Maia and Jaymz would still be alive...but she would still be a slave. She screwed her eyes shut, she couldn't bear to think about it at the moment. Heryn came over to her, bringing with her another beaker of the green/yellow liquid which Skyla glugged down without a second thought.

"How are you feeling?" asked the elder.

"I had a nightmare," Skyla murmured. Heryn nodded,

"Yes, I am sorry for you." The Lombax's mouth twitched into a measly grateful smile, but she said nothing.

* * *

><p>All morning, Skyla said very little, completely immersed in thoughts she fought to suppress. Try as she might, she could not help but dwell on her situation, now with added concerns about her parents and children she would never have. If Heryniel noticed her withdrawal, she kept her comments to herself, simply making sure she was always available for the Lombax to contact.<p>

Skyla was sitting around a fire in the open space before Heryn's dome when she was approached by two young Enyd and their mother. It was just after lunch and a group of males had just left to go hunting and there was little other activity about. The Lombax looked up, her thoughts interrupted as she registered the alien creatures standing before her expectantly. She blinked, and then smiled warmly at them in greeting. The girl appeared to be holding something behind her back, and both children looked rather self-conscious. The mother was smiling and gently nudged the girl, murmuring words of encouragement. With a great deal of shyness the girl brought her hand out from behind her back and held something out to Skyla.

It was a flower, with purple petals and a long stem. Its petals curled outwards and the centre was full of stigmas, each tipped with white. It was incredibly pretty and delicate looking and reminded Skyla of the exotic lilies you could find in the facility. The Lombax's eyebrows rose in mild surprise,

"For me?" she said, gesturing to herself. The child nodded bashfully.

"For...you," the mother said hesitantly and with a heavy accent, but Skyla understood. She accepted the flower with a wide smile and admired it openly,

"Thank you," she told them, using her facial expressions and tone of voice to convey her gratitude. The children blushed and fidgeted. The girl pointed at Skyla's arm and it took a moment for the Lombax to understand – she wanted to touch. Holding out her arm, Skyla let the little Enyd feel her fur with quiet awe. The boy murmured something and the mother nodded,

"Soft," she said to Skyla who smiled and nodded her head. Then the children withdrew, muttering words that Skyla took to mean 'thank you', before they turned and ran away. The mother shot Skyla a grateful smiled before running after her young. As they left, Skyla realised the mother looked around her age, and the children were no more than 4 years old. She fell back into deep thought and remained there until a figure came and sat beside her. It was Heryniel.

"That's an _Indil_ flower," she told Skyla, indicating the plant in her hand. The Lombax twirled the stem in her fingers.

"Mmm," was all she said. There was a moment of quiet, then Heryniel ventured to ask,

"What is on your mind, Skyla? You seem sad." Skyla took a moment to reply,

"I am sad, Heryniel," she said with a sigh, then feeling an explanation was required, added, "because I am all alone."

"What do you mean?" the Enyd asked. There was a pause,

"I am the last of my kind, the last Lombax," Skyla said eventually, "all of my race are...gone."

"Gone?" echoed Heryniel. Skyla nodded,

"Gone, forever."

"They are dead?" Heryniel murmured quietly. Skyla's brow furrowed a little,

"As good as," she muttered.

"How?" the Enyd enquired gently.

"I don't know," Skyla confessed, "I...don't know." Heryniel frowned in confusion,

"Then how do you know you are alone?" Skyla bit her lip in thought.

"I've been told that, all my life. I mean, I know what happened...vaguely. My kind were driven out of this universe...and they can't return. When I die, that will be it. No more Lombaxes, not in this universe," her heart fell as the words left her lips. She hated saying things like that, especially when they were the truth. There was another moment of silence.

"I am not sure I...understand," Heryniel admitted eventually, "you say you are the last of your kind...but you do not know if it is right?" Skyla sighed,

"Yes, no...I don't know. It's just...all my life, I've been told I am the last of my kind by everyone I know. They wouldn't all lie to me, I know that much. So I have to believe them, even if...I don't actually know." Skyla frowned at her words, in the open, they sounded so young and naive and a little unconvincing, but she was being honest as far as she was aware.

"What about your...family?" the Enyd said. A single tear pricked Skyla's eye and she blinked it away furiously,

"Dead. At least...I think they are. Again, I don't know," she finished, her voice beginning to fill with emotion as distress settled in her heart. She took a moment to bring herself under control once again.

"I don't know who my parents were," she began, "I've lived apart from them all my life. I've always assumed they were dead...it's...too painful to think otherwise. But now...everything's changed. It all looks so...bleak. If I...if I...if everything works out and I no longer have to run...I could have my own future. But it would not be a whole existence because I would have none of my own kind to share it with. I'm sorry the last of my kind is such a...mess of a creature. I'm an incomplete puzzle, Heryniel. I have lost my past, and have no future to find." Skyla's speech seemed to weigh her down, dragging her to the bottom of her being as the gravity of her words crashed down on her. She put her head in her hands and dug her fingers into her eyes to stop the waves of furious tears that threatened to break from her. She couldn't cry, _wouldn't_ cry. She had no right to.

"I am sorry for you, Skyla," Heryniel murmured, "but I must ask...you do not know your past...or you cannot remember?" Skyla didn't look up at her, but she frowned once again.

"I...can't remember," she confessed. She knew she had the memories, somewhere deep inside her, but she couldn't reach them. Something locked her from them, a defensive barrier keeping her out. Maia had once told her that it was probably her minds way of protecting itself, suppressing memories that were just too painful to remember. But there were times when Skyla wished so desperately she could recount what her childhood had been like before Hoven, even if it was horrific. She wanted to know. Sighing heavily, her shoulders slumped,

"I can't remember, and I never will. Maybe if I could I'd feel a little more complete but..." she shrugged and trailed off. Nothing was said for a minute and only the murmuring voices of other Enyd about the place could be heard, along with the gently rustling of the tree canopy overhead.

"No..." Heryniel's voice sounded distant, but Skyla forced herself to look up at the Enyd, there was something in her voice that sounded almost like...

"You say you cannot remember," the girl said with a small frown, her wide eyes narrowed slightly as she thought deeply, "but you can." Skyla blinked, had she heard right?

"How?" she blurted. Heryniel glanced at her,

"The Enyd have a...rit-oo-all?"

"Ritual?" Skyla offered.

"Yes, ritual. It is for the end of an Enyd's life, when they know death is near. They drink the juice of a _rín _plant and...breathe as it burns," Heryniel explained, "they remember all their life, from birth to now. It is called a _Rínpadad_, a memory walk." Skyla's brow knotted,

"A memory walk?" she echoed. The Enyd nodded,

"Yes...if you want, I can ask Naneth if you can go on one." The Lombax's heart skipped a beat, was Heryniel suggesting what she thought she was?

"Maybe then...you might remember your mother and father," the girl went on. Skyla's stomach flipped over several times in quick succession.

"A-are you...sure?" she stammered, "would it even work on me? Would I even be allowed? I'm-I'm not an Enyd." Heryniel shrugged lightly,

"I think so, you are not very different from us and anyone is allowed to go on the _Rínpadad. _Mostly the elderly do, but sometimes young Enyd go on one. If it can help you, then...there is no harm in trying." Skyla fidgeted where she sat,

"Heryniel," she said seriously, forcing her heart to calm and trying to think practically, like Maia did...had, "I appreciate you trying to help...but if what you're saying...isn't...possible..."

"I will talk to Naneth immediately," the Enyd cut across, "it is her job as Heryn Naneth to take a _Rínpadad_ once every...sun turn so she is in charge of helping Enyd take one. If we tell her of your...situation, I am sure she will let you go through it, just this once." Skyla felt herself grow dizzy from the thought of it all.

"Are...are you sure?" she repeated. The Enyd stood up and held out a hand to the Lombax,

"Come, we will go find her now and ask her." Hesitantly, Skyla took the girls hand and let her help her to her feet.

They found Heryn with a group of other Enyd women, sewing clothes of large leaves and weaving petals through them in intricate patterns. Heryniel politely asked her mother if they could have a moment to talk, and Heryn obligingly set down her work and came with them. Skyla listened intently as the mother and daughter proceeded to have a conversation in their own tongue. Waves of nerves washed over her as she took note of their tones and she felt increasingly light headed with each passing minute. When Heryniel first mentioned the _Rínpadad_ Heryn seemed surprised and firmly reluctant. Skyla's heart began to fall rapidly as the conversation turned into something of an argument, and she began to lose hope. But gradually, as Heryniel's words became more firm and passionate, Skyla saw Heryn begin to listen better to her, as if analysing her speech carefully.

Finally, the elder Enyd murmured something which sounded like her assent and Heryniel beamed in triumph. The two of them turned to Skyla, and Heryn was the first to speak,

"My daughter has argued very strongly for your right to go on a _Rínpadad_ and I have been persuaded to let you try. Has Heryniel told you about the ritual?"

"A little," Skyla told her, her heart beginning to thud rapidly once again.

"Then I will tell you more of it, when would you like it?" Heryn asked.

"Uh...when can I have it?" Skyla enquired nervously and felt a little foolish for asking, for some reason.

"Now, or later," came the reply.

"Now...please," the Lombax added. Heryn nodded,

"Very well, come with me."

Skyla followed Heryn as they made their way back to her dome, Heryniel was distracted by the return of the hunting party and wished Skyla good luck before going to find Lhach. The blue skinned girl shot the Lombax a smile of encouragement before she took off, her wings glittering in the sunlight as she flew towards the activity. Heryn closed the entrance to the dome and they were immediately thrown into semi-darkness with only the green natural lamps (which Skyla had discovered were naturally bioluminescent plants) providing light. The elder went about preparing the ritual, talking to Skyla as she did.

"The _Rínpadad_ is an ancient Enyd ritual which has been carried out for generations. Nearly every Enyd will go through it at least once in their lives. Very few outsiders have taken the ritual and special circumstances are required. Your situation is enough to qualify for this privilege, but you must not take it lightly. The _Rínpadad_ is very powerful and will take you through every moment of your life so far. To you, it will feel like a lifetime will pass before you, though in reality the ritual takes no more than an hour. You will remember all the good, and all the bad of your life with no exceptions, and you have no control over them. Also, your memories only display what you knew at that time, so you will understand relatively little until you reach older years. Are you ready?"

Heryn had taken a black flower from a carved box and a fire had been lit at the centre of the dome, though there was no smoke. The juice of the black flower had been pressed into a beaker that appeared to be made of crystal and Skyla was instructed to sit right by the fire, the cup in hand. Heryn stood, ready to drop the flower into the green flames of the fire. Skyla's mouth was dry at the prospect of what she was about to do and she could not reply with words. So she simply nodded.

Heryn dropped the flower and immediately a thick scent filled the air.

"Close your eyes," the Enyd told her and the Lombax obeyed instantly, "and breathe deeply." Skyla did that and felt her lungs fill with the heavy scent of the burning flower.

"Now, drink from the beaker, keep your eyes closed, relax your body, and keep breathing." The Lombax followed her instructions and the black liquid slipped down her throat. It tasted unbelievably thick and heavy, and she felt like she was drinking tar. She let her body relax completely and she sensed her mind begin to detach itself from her body, taking her far away from everything around her. It was almost as if her memories were rewinding like an ancient holo-vid, readying themselves to play before her. Skyla sighed deeply and, throwing a hopeful prayer this would work to the heavens, dived into the oceanic depths of her consciousness.


	13. The Memory Walk

_First there was nothing. Then suddenly there was noise and light, so much light. Wailing, her own. Noise. So much noise. It was too bright. Something soft around her, movement. Firm things holding her. Gentle noises, comforting noises. Quiet, listen to the noises. More noises, harder but gentle. Movement. Light. Noise. What was it all? Hunger. Crying, hunger! Something to her mouth, latch on. Hunger satisfied. Contentment. Sleep._

_Time passing. Noise. Light. Began to make sense. Soft sound meant no more hunger, comfort. Hard sounds meant safety. Open...eyes. More light. Blink. Blink. Light. Forms above. Two large dots. Curves that moved. Dots open, close. Gone, there, changed. Look different. Hunger, again. Humming sounds. No more hunger._

_Time passing. The dots, always the same. Two of one colour, two of another. Always. Curves that move, happy feeling. Want happy feeling. Try to copy. Mouth, turn up. Sparkling dots, noises, happy noises. Happy feeling. All dots. Happy feelings. Sounds, tell dots. Slowly, understood._

_Time passing. Change position, strong things. No longer look up. Look down. Head, up. Colours. Shiny. Touch. Things in hand, smooth. In mouth, hunger not go. Cry. Dots, humming noises. Hunger gone._

_Movement. Can move! Rolling over, change what to see. Objects above moving, colourful, shiny. Reach to them. Can't reach. More movement. Hands either side...push. Up! More to see. Keep balance, sitting on bottom. Everything big, so many colours. Long sticks moving around. Noises of surprise, happy surprise. Picked up. Snuggles. Warm fur, soft fur. Happy feelings. Noises, playing. Objects. Dots more detailed. More curves to see. Different dots, different colours and new noises. Strange noises, not always nice. Sometimes cry. But dots always there. Soft. Comfort._

_More movement. On front...push. Can move! On fours, move around, so much to see! Everything so big. So many new things to touch, pull, taste. Not always nice. Dots are no longer just dots but faces, kind faces. Familiar faces. One is gentle, makes the comforting noises and takes away hunger. Pale in colour with large...ears. Other face is harder but voice means safety, nothing to fear. Dark...with bright eyes. Voice deeper too. Faces belong to bodies and bodies are big, warm. Move so much, can't always follow them. Objects in way, big ones, small ones. Takes time to clear them, or noise to make forms move them._

_Noises clearer now, different ones mean different things. Harsh noises mean bad things. Biting is bad. Dark face makes unhappy noise, deep. Biting is bad._

_Raise hands for comfort. Reach to forms. Higher view, things seem smaller. Forms carry around, more to see. Dark form has shiny thing on back. Want it. Reach for it. Happy noises, surprise. Dark form puts down, shows shiny thing. Big shiny thing, hard, cold. Touch it, want it, grip it. More happy noises. Pale form enters and makes noises, not happy. Dark forms make more noise, calm. Pale form watches shiny object. Grip tightens. Don't want to let it go. Both forms make many happy noises. Happy feelings._

_Want to move more, find steady object...pull. Feet, upright, standing. Wobble. Fall over, cry. Pale form hurries in, comfort noises, food. Food is changing, not always same. One time, dark form helps to feet. No falling, dark form helps. Gentle noise. Pale form ahead, holding shiny thing. Want it, try to go to it. Many times fail. But want it. Get it, finally. Many happy noises. Again, again. Moving on own, without help. Wobble often, but not always standing up, falling down. Practise, practise. Walking! Can do. More to move._

_So much to see. Pale form takes places in carrier thing. More faces looking down, different faces. Recognise some, always with big ears. So much to see. All around is pale, like pale form but different. Not soft. Look up and another colour. So big, so very big. Pale form points to it, makes noise over and over. Sounds like name said around her. Name? Her name? Words more detailed now, make more sense. Pale form is one word, dark form is another. Other forms...don't know._

_Shiny thing! Want it more. What is it? Dark form points to it, says noise, word. Word is shiny object. Want to say word. Word. Word. Try! So hard...word, word, word. Dark form points to object again. Now! Word – ren. No, not full word but dark form is happy, many happy noises. Picks up and swings around. Fun! More, more! Happy noises. Says word over and over again – ren. Pale form enters, dark form says something. Pale form makes happy noises. Hugs. Happy times._

_More words, more happiness. Pale form – mama. Dark form – papa. Makes more happiness._

_More to do. Food, can feed self with fingers, don't always need pale form._

_Understand more, everything is more detailed. Colours, more clear. Time goes by, pick out differences. Pale form, mama, is colour like hard ground outside, pale and light with darker stripes. Eyes like sky above, pretty eyes, not dots anymore. Dark form, papa, colour like night time when all is dark, but papa is not all dark and has night coloured stripes. Yellow eyes, like yellow in the sky. And tail? Papa has tail, mama has no tail. Why? No know._

_Time, time, time. So much more to do! Other forms to play with, smaller, like her. Not understand them much but happy times with them. Not always nice, sometimes take things. Not like. Hit out. Unhappy noises, not like. Papa makes unhappy noises, makes give thing back. New word – sorry._

_Large objects in home fun to climb on. Use hands and feet to push, pull, get higher. More to see. Meeting more creatures, some big, some small. Mama and papa like them, so must like them too. One form, looks like mama but isn't mama, but still like her, nice to play with. One time, many people about, much laughing. Happy, but tired. Sleep time._

_Notice more changes. Can feed self now, with fingers, but is difficult. Sometimes easier to pour food onto self and lick off. Mama not like this, but papa make happy noises – laughing. More words. Mama. Papa. Papa's ren. Papa's ail. Food. Yes. No. Name, her name, sound like sky that is above but not sky._

_Mama and papa doing less, her doing more. Sometimes mama and papa don't give what wanted. Not nice. Not happy feelings. Crying – tears down face. See it work with others, but not mama or papa. Tears don't work. But mama and papa still play snuggle, never hurt her. So why not give her what wanted? No know._

_More to do. Sticks which make colours when used. Scribbles, pretty lines. Colourful lines. Fun! Giggling. Papa draw shapes, better lines, but he let her colour in! Fun, fun, fun._

_Move so much more, can go many places. Can climb more objects now. Big things going up, can climb! No longer need mama or papa to carry all the time, can walk._

_Mama and papa talk more. Every night, before sleep time, papa or mama talks while looking at...book, they say. They let her see the pictures. Pictures tell story that they say. Fun. Like mama's voice, kind and soft. Like papa's voice, strong and safe. Love mama. Love papa. Want to tell them. Word – love. Papa. When story finished, papa is going. Wait! Say it, say it. I love you. Says wrong but papa understands, starts to cry. No! Not want papa to cry! Go to him, pat him. Papa no cry. Papa gives big hug, says he is happy, not sad. Happy tears. Papa gives kiss. Night night, he says. Happy sleeping that night._

_More to do. Mama gives colour blocks and helps stack them. More tall towers, push them over, and they fall. Giggling. Mama laughing. Throw things, too. Mama gives round thing that bounces. Fun!_

_Food different now, always changing. Start to use things that mama and papa use. Word – spoon. And fork. And knife. But knifes sharp. Only mama and papa use knife. Can use spoon! But not well. So many things can do...but not always well. Mama and papa always do things so much better, want to learn that to! Time, time, patience, mama says. Means wait. Don't want to wait! Want it now._

_Story time every night. Can see pictures better now. Point to them, name them. Colours, objects. New story. Favourite one about a little metal...new word – robot. Robot who flies through stars having adventures. Want adventure. Mama laughs and hugs. When bigger, she says._

_New words. I. You. Me. You is mama and papa. I and Me is her!_

_Time passes, so fast._

_Doing more and more. More words to learn, more things to do. Books to see pictures in. Colourful lines to make. Things to climb. Can take off clothes! For bath when water is all around. Baths fun, most fun with papa._

_Want to do more, watches mama and papa. Copy them. Mama makes food, papa makes objects, shiny objects. So much to do!_

_One day, many people come to house, so many colours all around, much laughter. And more things! Presents, says mama. Colouring sticks. Colour blocks. Soft things. Favourite is from mama and papa, shiny thing like papa's but nicer, smaller and softer. Love it. Her very own ren. Not want to let it go. Is hers! Forever and ever. Mama and papa smiling. What to name ren, they say. Ren is ren, she says. Ren the ren. Sleep with Ren that night._

_Go more places with mama. Other people there. Friends, mama says, nice people. Mama talks to them a lot, not always understand. But there are blocks to play with, so she is happy. Mama takes to other place and gives food bought from smiling man. Food is cold, so cold! Say this to mama and she says yes, food is cold. Eat food. Yummy! Want more but mama says no._

_So many words to say, don't always know which one to use. Some mean same things but others mean other things._

_Play more games. Pictures together with mama and papa. Puzzle, they say. Like puzzles. Puzzles fun. Mama is humming again, it sounds so pretty! Want to copy. Mama teachers, says it is singing. They sing song about a little star, is fun! Mama better sing, though. Sometimes nice to listen, not sing with her. Papa likes mama's singing too, he hugs her when she does. Mama smiles. Mama and papa very happy. Love._

_Next time mama doesn't give what wanted, want to know. Word – why? Mama says no treat because then won't be hungry for good food. Don't understand, treat not good? Mama says treats good, but only little ones. Don't understand, but mama always right, so no more treat._

_Talks to more people, not all like mama and papa. Different voices, different colours. Some like mama, no tail and long fur on top. Hair, mama says. Some like papa, have tail and short fur, hair, on top. Most people nice, talk back. Ask her name. Know it now. Sky, like above, but more on end. Sounds like mama singing. La. Sky-La. Skyla. Her name. She is Skyla._

_See more pictures now, pictures of people like mama and papa and Skyla. Family, papa says. Big one is papa, medium one is mama and small one is child, like Skyla. All have large ears, things on head, for hearing sounds. Ears have stripes, always. Pretty. Parts of the body. Head. Shoulders. Knees. Toes. Song! Mama makes song about parts of body. Fun! Head. Shoulders. Knees. Toes. Eyes – for seeing. Ears – for hearing. Mouth – for tasting. Nose – for smelling._

_Mama points to body when singing, then taps Skyla's nose at end. Giggle. Fun! Mama tickles Skyla. Laugh! More, more! Tickle mama, she falls down, laughing. Goes still, stops moving. Skyla frowns, what's wrong? Is mama dead? Pokes mama. Says name. Mama not moving. Suddenly, mama alive! Tickles Skyla more. Another game! Fun with mama. Love you mama, Skyla says. Mama gives Skyla kiss, love you too, little one, she says. Little one, is Skyla. Not like it when others call her little, but mama allowed because mama loves Skyla._

_Time passes. Skyla puts clothes on her, now! Mama helps, but only a little. Skyla growing bigger every day. Say this to mama. Mama says Skyla will one day be big like papa. Skyla doesn't believe her. Mama is shorter than papa, and so are the other ones without tails – girls, mama calls them. But Skyla is getting bigger._

_Has new toy. Dolly that looks like mama and can dress up with clothes. Skyla not like the frilly clothes but papa says it is good practise. Not ask what for, papa knows best._

_Skyla understanding much more noise, more words. So many words. Not always understand them but learning fast. Mama and papa very happy. Skyla talks to Ren and Dolly, tells them about things. Ren always listen but Dolly gets bored. Love Ren more._

_Papa teaches how to draw properly with colouring sticks – pencils. Shows how to draw straight line and circle. Skyla not very good but papa adds more lines to Skyla's circle and a face and ears. It is a person! A Lombax, papa says, because that is what we are – Lombax. New word for Skyla._

_Skyla hears more and notices other creatures don't call mama 'mama' or papa 'papa'. She knows this is because they are her mama and papa, but doesn't understand. One day, she asks papa what his name is that is not papa. Papa says his name is Jozeff and mama's name is Lea. Skyla asks if she should call them those names but papa laughs and says no. We will always be mama and papa to you, little one, he says._

_Time passes and Skyla make many new friends. The pale form Lombax, who looks like mama, is Aunt Sellesst. The man who sells cold treats at the small park is Benjamyn. So many new people. And little friends, too. Like baby Bella in the house next door who is smaller than Skyla but has an older brother called Tomaz who is like Skyla._

_Skyla asks mama why she has no brothers or sisters, why others do and she doesn't. She wants a brother or baby sister, like Tomaz and Bella. Mama smiles and says she will have a brother or sister one day, but does not say when. Patience, again._

_Skyla a big girl now – can use potty without help! Mama and papa very proud. But Skyla still can't dress properly, always can't do buttons. Mama helps._

_Skyla have a party! Mama says is Skyla's birthday so many friends come around to have fun. Bella, Tomaz, Aunt Sellesst and many others here with Skyla, all saying Happy Birthday! Mama tells Skyla she is three years old and holds up three fingers. Skyla copies. Three years old. Many presents and treats on that day, but none as good as Ren. Ren is special._

_There's so much Skyla can do now, she tells Ren. Skyla can walk and talk and draw and throw and build blocks and do puzzles and play games. Skyla very happy, and she knows Ren is too. Mama, papa, Skyla and Ren (no more Dolly), all happy. Happy family._

_Then, one day, happiness gone._

_It night time and Skyla asleep in mama and papa's room when suddenly there is loud noise from outside. Skyla wakes up, what noise? Papa jumps out of bed where he sleeps with mama and goes to window to look outside. There is light outside, but that is wrong. It is night, not meant to be light like day. Mama joins papa by window, what's going on? Skyla tries to get out of bed-cot but she can't. More loud noises. Is frightening. Big booms, over and over. And noises from others, Lombaxes – screaming. Not nice noises at all. Skyla starts to cry, scared! Mama picks up and cuddles, comforting noises. Papa says something, an attack! Papa says something else but Skyla doesn't understand, words too alien. Something like them being found, but how? Skyla not know they were hiding. Papa grabs his ren, called Wrench, and shouts he is going outside to help. He says mama and Skyla must go to cellar where it is safe. But Skyla doesn't like the cellar, is too dark. Tries to tell this to papa but he says it is to keep her safe and she must be brave. Skyla stops crying. Brave means no crying. Brave means doing things you don't like. Skyla must be brave._

_Mama tells papa to be careful and papa kisses mama. Then papa kisses Skyla. I love you both, so much, he says and Skyla sees tears in his eyes, but he doesn't cry. They have big hug and then papa is gone, gone to the noises and screaming._

_Mama and Skyla go to cellar with Ren where they will be safe. Cellar is dark but mama has a torch light. They play games with shadows, making shapes on wall. But bad noises still go on and Skyla knows mama is scared to. But they must be brave, for papa. There is a very loud noise near them and the cellar shakes, things fall from the ceiling, dust. Skyla gulps back tears and snuggles into mama's arms with Ren, burying head in soft fur. Skyla asks what is happening but mama doesn't say, says only that papa will protect them. Mama makes soothing noises and starts to sing. Mama looks after Skyla. Mama makes fear go away with singing._

_Time passes and noises still there, still bad. Mama not singing any more now, both listening to noises. The noises are closer, much more closer. Above them! Bad noises in house! Skyla scared, so scared. Clutches mama and Ren. Mama gives hug and puts down. Stay here, Skyla, she says. Where mama going? Mama crying, not good. Skyla scared! Mama gives another hug and kisses many times. Promise me you will stay here, Skyla, she says. Stay where you are safe. Skyla confused, very confused, but promises mama. Mama puts Skyla in a large crate, tells to stay there and not move at all. More noises, bad noises. Closer and closer. Mama kisses Skyla. I love you, little one, she says. Skyla says she loves mama too, and that mama and papa must promise to come back. Mama doesn't answer. Mama leaves Skyla with Ren and goes up to house. Many bad noises. Screaming. Mama, screaming! NO! Skyla wants to go to mama, but she promised to stay. Must not leave, must stay. Bad noises, so many bad noises. Skyla scared, so scared..._

_When Skyla wake up, bad noises all gone. All is quiet. Not good quiet, though. Can Skyla go yet? No more bad noises. So where is mama and papa? Skyla wait much time, but mama doesn't come for her. Where is mama? Skyla hungry. Want food, want cold treat from Benjamyn in small park with mama. When Skyla wait long enough, she gets out of crate. Must find mama. Goes up cellar stairs with Ren in hand. All is so quiet. Cellar door open so goes out._

_Everything is messy. Everything broken. Skyla can name them. Table. Window. Vase. Picture. All broken. Where's mama? Front door open, something lying by it. Mama! Skyla goes over. It is mama! But mama not moving. Mama is on front, very still. Why not moving? Maybe is the game she plays with Skyla, the one where she plays dead and comes alive again to tickle Skyla. Skyla pokes mama with Ren. Wake up, mama, she says. But mama not waking up. Funny colour on mama's head, like when Skyla hurt her knee in park. Colour is red. Skyla pokes mama again with finger. Wake up, mama. Mama not waking up. Why mama not waking up? Game over, not fun anymore. Skyla asks mama to wake up, to sing to her, to make her scared go away. Mama not moving. Asleep? No, mama's eyes open. Open, but not seeing. Why? Skyla starts to cry. Sorry to papa for breaking promise, but Skyla has to cry. Skyla snuggles into mama with Ren, trying to make wake up. Mama not moving. Mama never move again._

_Time passes and Skyla wakes up. Mama still not moving. But...noises. Outside. Front door is open. Skyla looks at mama, tells that she will be back. Skyla goes outside._

_Everything broken. Fire, lots of fire, but not good kind like in cold times. Everything broken. And more Lombaxes everywhere. None of them are moving. Where's papa? Don't know. There are other forms too, look like robots in Skyla's book but not robots. Don't know. Noises, come from ship landing not far away. Skyla watches as ship lands and two creatures get out. Creatures not like Lombaxes. Creatures have no fur and no big ears and are red in colour. That not right. Creatures talking, looking around. Skyla stay still. Who are they? Did they hurt her mama? No, robots did that. One of them sees her, comes over. Skyla hugs Ren tight, too scared to move. Creature is tall and frightening and red. Red like mama's head. What have we got here? Creature says. Skyla not answer. Other creature comes over. A little Lombax, they say. Talk lots and Skyla not understand everything. Something about Tachyon and killing and long words Skyla not understand. Skyla understands killing. Killing is bad. Creature takes out thing and points at Skyla. Looks like object papa makes. Fires lasers. Not good._

_Creature about to fire when other creature says no. Creatures talk more, thinking talk. Something about Lombaxes nearly all dead and selling her for bolts. Skyla not understand much, but know enough to know they are bad. When creatures stop talking, they say Skyla must go with them. Skyla shakes head, no! Creature comes towards Skyla, Skyla turns and runs away. Creature is chasing but Skyla is fast. Runs back to house, back to mama. Clings to mama, even though not moving. Creature stops in doorway, looking at Skyla. Skyla wants to stay with mama, she says. Skyla not go with bad creatures. Creature says Skyla must. Skyla must stay with mama! Creature not listening, pulls away. Says mama is dead. No! Creature stronger than Skyla, can't break free. No! Must stay with mama, promised! Skyla pulled out of house and towards ship, other creature collected other things, objects like ones that papa makes. Says about selling on black market. Skyla screams, must stay with mama! Creature says bad words to Skyla. Hits Skyla over the head. Skyla scream no more._

_Light. Noise. So much, so many. All too confusing. Mama! Where's mama? Gone, says someone, is creature. Papa? Gone too. No! Mama and papa not gone, is not true! They are gone, says creature. Skyla wants to cry but she promised papa she wouldn't. Skyla must not cry. Skyla must be brave._

_More light and noise and smells, so many smells. And bodies, so many bodies of creatures Skyla never met before. Is all so frightening. But Ren still with her, Ren not leave her._

_Skyla put on stage, so many faces! Recognise none. Voices. Arguing. Skyla scared, hugs Ren. Then Skyla pulled away, given to another red creature. Says something about a mine, and Hoven. Skyla not understand, but can't do anything as other red creature takes her away._

_More ship journey, Skyla sleeps restlessly. Arrive and get out, so cold! Skyla taken to place, all dark and metal and cold. Voices. Red creature takes to another creature, creature looks a little like mama but with no ears or stripes. Is same colour, though. Red creature tells new creature to look after Skyla, make do work. What work? Red creature goes, and takes Ren. No! Skyla screams, not Ren! Ren only friend left, if Ren gone...Skyla alone._

_Time passes, so much time. Slow, fast, passing all the time. Skyla looked after by creature that is not mama, called Poppy. But is kind, not like red creatures. But is not mama. Skyla ill, so ill. Has many nightmares. Mama, papa, Ren...all of them gone. Is all too much! Skyla can't take it all, can't understand. Skyla not understand time but days pass. Months. Years. Skyla forget mama, forget papa, forget Ren. Is easier. Less painful. Can focus on work and staying warm in mine. Work is hard, but Poppy shows what to do and Skyla picks up fast. Doesn't talk a lot, too cold. Routine is made – work, eat, sleep, work, eat, sleep. This is Skyla's life._

_When Poppy dies in cave in, Skyla barely notices. So much bad in her life, any more is too, too much. Days. Months. Years. The cold. Ever present and waiting to bite her. Time seems meaningless. Skyla can't remember how old she is but feels she is older than she looks. Growing too quickly, not good. All she knows is the work on Hoven. Mining. A slave. Skyla is alone._

_Then, one day, everything changes...again. Skyla's shift is moved and she's working by the furnace, shovelling coal into the simmering depths. She thinks about throwing herself in, ending her life, but that would take too much energy. So she shovels. At least by the furnace she is warm, even if it is unbearable. The red creature, the Blarg who owns the mine, is giving another tour. Another Blarg, business looking, watches the workers with a keen eye. Skyla ignores him, he is irrelevant. But he doesn't ignore Skyla. Asks to see her. She is pulled out of work and hauled in front of the Blargs. She is so filthy, so covered in dirt that she can hardly believe the Blarg recognises her as a Lombax. She knows that's what she is, Poppy said so. But she doesn't know what a Lombax is, only that she is one. The Blargs talk about selling her. Skyla doesn't care. They come to an agreement, and all of a sudden, she is pulled away. They scrub her from head to toe, and she fights them all the way. But they are relentless and soon her fur is tingling and clean. She is put into a ship and sent to the nearest underground market._

_There's so much noise, so many smells. They ring bells for Skyla, give her the strange sense of déjà vu. But she can't remember why, or what, so she doesn't try. She's put with other creatures, Markazians, Cazar, Rilgarians. All slaves to be sold. She doesn't care about them._

_When she is dragged onto the stage, she fights because she can. The auctioneer restrains her and she can't move without falling over. She settles for glaring at the sea of faces before her. Another déjà vu, but she ignores it. Who do they think they are, anyway? They think they can just buy her, control her, just like that. Let them think that, they are wrong. They all start yelling, scrambling to 'buy' her. The prices rise astronomically and she keeps from frowning. Something that the auctioneer said. The 'Last Lombax'. Her? She doesn't know. But then why are they all so eager to possess her?_

_Eventually, a Novalian wins, one million bolts. He is tall and arrogant looking, expensively dressed. He walks towards the stage as if he owns the place. Skyla wonders why he's here, from her experience, Novalians were relatively nice. Why would he buy her, supporting slavery? She looks into his eyes and understands. He's not a Novalian. He's a monster._

_She fights against him but he is stronger, pulls her away through the market place. People are staring. Let them stare._

_They arrive in the hangar and he takes her away in a small ship, chained to the wall. He sets a course and asks her name. No-one's asked her name in years. She can barely remember it. But she hears Poppy's voice, calling her name. That's all she remembers. But she can't talk. They gave her a speech inhibitor, makes the buyers feel better about themselves if they think they are buying a dumb animal. He hits her. Fool. Can't he see that she can't answer? She shows him the inhibitor and he takes it off. She can speak now. He asks her name. Her name? Skyla._

_He takes her to a facility where everything is bright. She's introduced to other creatures, other slaves, but she doesn't care for them. A Cazar 'looks after' her, shows her what to do. The work, it isn't mining. Instead, they are looking after plants and animals. How pathetic. Skyla doesn't want this kind of life. She notices there are many guards about, guards and slaves. What kind of place is this? At least it's not cold._

_For a while, all is calm. Skyla doesn't know how they react to her. Then, one of the guards provokes her and she sees her chance. She attacks. Like some wild animal, she expels all her rage on him. He fights back, but anger fuels her. Anger at what? She doesn't know. When she is pulled off him, he is badly injured. Good. Maybe now they will kill her. But they don't, the Novalian simply has her whipped and sent back to work. Skyla is confused, why won't they kill her? She tries again, attacking another guard. Still, they don't kill her, only the whip. A punishment. Understanding begins to dawn. They won't kill, only punish. Perfect._

_The animal inside her is unleashed, finally. She attacks without provocation, now, on anyone who so much as looks at her wrong. She fights with the fury of one who cannot remember, and thus lashes out in frustration and despair. The guards are her main targets and some rise to her challenge, engaging her in battle when they can. She smiles. Good. What doesn't kill her only makes her stronger. She fights, for many days, months. Always being punished, always suffering, but never dying._

_The other slaves avoid her at all costs. She doesn't attack them, they already have it hard enough, but they don't like her either. She's too wild and feral for them. That's fine for her. She doesn't care. Except there is one Cazar, and a Rilgarian, who won't leave her alone. They're always there, trying to 'help' her, trying to stop her from fighting. Sometimes, she hurts them to get them to go away but they never leave and she stops. She doesn't like hurting them, so tries to ignore them. The Cazar is always there, why? Why won't she just leave Skyla alone? Why does she seem to...care, what happens to Skyla? No-one cares for Skyla, not even Skyla herself. So why does the Cazar bother? Don't know. Don't care. Continue to fight._

_Time passes, the rage is still there, Skyla still fights. The Cazar and the Rilgarian never leave. They are relentless, like her. They don't take no for an answer. Skyla is intrigued. How could they seem to care for her so much? They don't know her at all. She doesn't even know herself. So why do they still try and help her?_

_One day, Skyla hears something, hears something that makes her stop and listen. She goes looking, trying to find the source. She finds it. It is the Cazar, and she is singing. Singing a song about a little star. The song, it reminds Skyla of something, someone, long ago...but what? She goes to the Cazar and listens quietly. She is noticed, but the Cazar continues to sing. Skyla feels no rage as she listens. She feels a peace she has never felt. It is strange. When the Cazar finishes the song, she asks for more. The Cazar obliges and peace begins to blossom in Skyla's heart._

_After that, things begin to change. Skyla listens to the Cazar more. Her name is Maia. Maia likes to sing and sings many songs for Skyla. They all make her feel...calm. She still attacks the guards, but not so much, not around Maia, not when Maia is singing. And Maia talks to her, tells her things. Random things, but her voice is soothing. Skyla simply listens. The Rilgarian joins in too. His name is Jaymz. He tells Skyla stories, and they make her feel like she has heard them before, but can't remember when or where. He even makes her laugh. Laughing! Skyla has not done that for a long time...if at all. But Jaymz makes her laugh with his stories._

_The rage within her slowly begins to die. The past is not remembered, but forgotten. Skyla feels more at peace. One time, Maia and Skyla were talking. Talking quietly. Then something happens that goes straight to Skyla's heart. Maia calls her 'little one'. That name...so very familiar, strikes a bell deep within Skyla, calling to the very centre of her being. Little one. A name given to her by one who is forgotten. But Skyla is not angry any more, rather at peace. Maia calls her little one, now. She is no longer alone, because Maia and Jaymz are with her. Always. Skyla is not alone._

_Many months pass, and then years. Skyla grows from a child into a young teenager, and every day, she spends it with Maia and Jaymz. The facility itself is a prison, but the people within it are not all bad. The slaves are now her friends, once they see she has calmed down, and she even finds herself enjoying the company of others, and even likes some of the work they do._

_Maia is always there for her, and Skyla loves her so, so much. The Cazar teaches her so much, how to read, how to write, how to love...again, how did she forget to love? She learns about all the other species in the facility, all the plants and creatures, sentient and otherwise. She learns about the galaxy, the other worlds out there. She learns she is the last Lombax. It hurts, a lot, when she hears about how they are gone, but Maia comforts her, gives her consolation. Skyla may be the last of her kind but she is not alone, not while she has Maia._

_Every day is nearly the same, but Maia and Jaymz make every day fun. Skyla is no longer the angry, tormented creature she once was, but she still fights. When her rage subsides, she still fights. Maia asks why, but Skyla doesn't know, only that she feels compelled to. Jaymz encourages her, secretly. He, too, wants to fight, but can't. Skyla is special, never killed for her crimes. Professor Xavier and Cornelius are her new friends, even though they are often forced to inflict terrible things on her, by Baen._

_Baen. The very name incites rage and hatred in Skyla. She loathes him completely and utterly because he is evil in its purest form. His eyes, so empty and devoid of life. The devil himself could not be more heartless._

_The punishments he inflicts on her are varied and imaginative, but she never gives up. Never. She must be brave, always. She must not let him bring her down._

_As the years pass, Skyla's body develops. She loses her childish figure which turns into that of a young female, maturing every day. One day, Skyla wakes up and she is bleeding. She panics, why is she bleeding? Maia is immediately there, by her side, telling her it's alright, that everything's fine and it's part of life. She shows her how to use the paper towels to catch the blood and explains how it will happen regularly, as it does for every female. Skyla is confused at first, but begins to understand. Her body is aging, she is growing up._

_As the months, years pass, there are little things here and there that make life good and different. Like on Skyla's 13th birthday, Maia and Jaymz managed to obtain a burnt cake for her and they all sang happy birthday in the slave's mess hall. They weren't able to do it again the next year, but Skyla didn't mind. That birthday was special. And Jaymz's stories, how he always seem to have a new one to tell her when she asked for one. How animated he would get while he told them, using his hands and voice to make it real. Xavier and Cornelius and their crazy experiments, like when they 'accidently' turned one of the guards into a chicken. They all laughed at that, even the other guards. It took a long time to change him back, but Skyla knows Xavier deliberately went slowly, more fun that way._

_All the good that happened, and all the bad._

_The harshest punishments from Baen, like a week in isolation for trying to escape. Skyla only came out more eager to try again. Isolation didn't work on her, or so she had Baen think. In reality, she hated it with every fibre of her being. The darkness, the emptiness, the nightmares. When she came out, she hid them all away, not telling anyone, except Maia. Maia knew. Maia could tell isolation had hurt Skyla, and only when they were completely alone did the Lombax allow herself to cry into her friends shoulder, Maia stroking her hair all the time._

_All her friends, how she loved them so much! Maia, her sister, Jaymz, her brother, Xavier, Cornelius...they made life bearable. When she was with them, she was safe._

_Time seemed more familiar now, the days didn't seem as long, like they had only happened yesterday._

_The day she fought with Taktar in the Hyrdoponics chamber. Another punishment, the larvae in her leg. The arrival of a new slave, Marco._

_It was all becoming clearer, more familiar. Marco and her in the artefacts room. The plan to escape. Maia coming with them. Escaping the facility, finally. Jaymz getting left behind._

_It was all happening so fast! Into the woods. Being picked up by Jaynwae and her crew. The attack. Running to the escape pods. Skyla staying behind to help. Finding Maia gone. Going after her. Seeing the escape pod explode. The sadness, the rage, the emptiness. Crashing on a forest ridden planet. Meeting the Enyd. Talking to Heryniel. Initiating the ritual..._

* * *

><p>Skyla sucked in a shaky breath as she came too. Opening her eyes, she blinked as light streamed into her vision, temporarily blinding her. Everything was a blur, she couldn't remember where she was. Her head felt like mush and her mind seemed to be enveloped by fog and haze.<p>

"Skyla?" She looked up and saw a lilac creature watching her. She looked familiar...didn't Skyla know her? Then it all came crashing down. The Enyd. Heryn. The _Rínpadad. _All of a sudden, she remembered everything. Skyla choked as waves of unlocked memories washed over her in a great tidal wave of thoughts and feelings.

"Skyla?" came the voice again, Heryn's voice. She glanced at the Enyd and registered Heryniel sitting beside the elder, both looking on expectantly. She opened her mouth to speak but no sound came out. Looking around, she suddenly felt like the walls were closing in on her. She had to get out of here.

Stumbling to her feet, the Lombax left the dome as fast as she could, nearly tripping over the door frame. Heryniel made to go after her, but Heryn stopped her.

"No," she said firmly, looking after the Lombax with wise eyes, "she must face this alone."

* * *

><p>Skyla ran from the dome and into the forest behind, putting as much distance between herself and the Enyd as she dared. From the moment she had awoken from the ritual, she'd felt something building within her and she didn't want to be around others when it broke free.<p>

Eventually, when her leg began throbbing in pain once again, she collapsed by a fallen tree trunk, far away enough to be unheard by Heryn or her daughter. As she fell to the ground, she felt her mind fall with her and she curled into a ball against the onslaught that began.

She remembered. She remembered everything. Her days as a baby, a toddler, a child, a young girl.

And her parents.

She remembered her parents. Her mother, Lea, with soft, sandy fur and caramel stripes and the gentlest eyes, like the sky. Mama. Her father, Jozeff, with dark fur and black stripes and the brightest eyes, like the sun. Papa. Mama and papa, her parents - she remembered how they'd died.

And after that, meeting Maia and Jaymz, how they'd cared for her unyieldingly, never giving up on her, always seeking the light. Maia and Jaymz, her siblings - she remembered how they'd died.

And she cried.

She cried for the parents she'd lost. She cried for all that she had known as a young child. Colouring with papa. Cold treats with mama. Hugs and kisses and endless love. Baby Bella next door, Tomaz, Aunt Sellesst, Benjamyn...everyone she'd known, gone. And Ren, her toy, her precious toy that she'd cared for as only a child can love a lifeless object. She cried for the night her parents were brutally murdered in that savage attack. She cried for her father, going out to protect them, to fight off the invaders, to no avail. She cried for her mother, lying dead on the cold floor, eyes unseeing and ears unhearing to her daughter's desperate pleas.

She cried for the creatures, the two Blarg who had taken her away and first sold her into slavery. She cried for when she had been sold, and when she was parted from Ren, her last link to home, her last link to life as it had once been, her last link to happiness. She cried for her time on Hoven, when all had been cold and the darkness eternal. She cried for Poppy, the Kerwanian who'd cared for her, and who's loss of life had gone unmourned by anyone. She cried for when she'd been seen by the Blarg businessman and sold to the devil.

She cried for her early days at the facility, when she'd been so wild and out of control. She cried for her lack of memory in those times, when she'd been so angry and confused and didn't know why. She cried for Maia and Jaymz's immeasurable patience and compassion. She cried for the peace they gave her, and the love she'd found in them. She cried for every single moment she'd spent with her friends, when she'd been naive enough to believe they would always be there for her.

She cried for the good times, and the bad.

She cried for when she'd first found out she was the last Lombax and her race was doomed to extinction.

She cried for when Marco had arrived and her life had changed forever. She cried for the night they escaped. She cried for Jaymz, her brother, sacrificing his life so that they might have freedom. She cried for the cargo ship and when that escape pod had exploded in front of her, obliterating her world in that one moment. She cried for Maia, her sister and best friend, the one creature she would give her life for without a second's thought. The one creature who'd seen the light in the darkness that had been Skyla's soul. The one creature who'd never given up on the good in people. The one creature Skyla loved with every fibre of her being. Gone, never to return.

Deep in the Baran forest, Skyla cried.


	14. To the Settlement

It was nearing nightfall by the time Skyla returned to the Enyd. As she entered the dome Heryniel looked up at her with a questioning look. Skyla simply nodded and made a beeline for her bed. She collapsed onto it, suddenly feeling completely and utterly exhausted as if she'd hiked a mountain. She fell asleep almost immediately. Skyla had no dreams that night.

When the Lombax woke up the next day, she didn't get up straight away, but rather lay in bed a while. A strange kind of peace had descended over her that she couldn't explain or fully understand, but she accepted it. It was the peace that came with no longer being ignorant to her past.

After breakfast, Heryn gave her another medical check up. She nodded in approval as she saw the _Ess_ leaves had begun to peel away and Skyla's cuts were on their way to scabbing. Her body still ached, but her bruises were fading and she felt a lot better.

"You are a fast healer," Heryn told her as she washed and treated her patients injuries once again.

"How long until I can travel?" Skyla asked, mentally crossing her fingers that it would be some time soon.

"You are good to journey today, if you so wish," the elder replied and Skyla's heart leapt for joy. Today! That was better than she had dared hope for.

"Today? When?" she exclaimed, suddenly eager to be away. Not from the Enyd, as they were a lovely people and she enjoyed their company, but away to rescue her friends with all haste.

"I will ask around for an escort to take you to the old settlement. If you go by _Medisalch_ and leave just after lunch, you should get there by late tomorrow morning," the Enyd told her. Tomorrow morning...that would give her a whole day to try and get the old technology in the settlement working to transmit her message. There were good and bad points to that plan, the good being that anyone could pick it up, the bad being that Baen could discover her location. If he picked it up before anyone else, he could possibly reach her before real help arrived. She couldn't let that happen. She'd have to make the call and hope for the best. Solana was a well populated galaxy, so if the authorities didn't pick up on her call, then others surely would. Someone would hear her cry. But first she had to actually reach the settlement.

Skyla spent the whole morning with Heryniel, talking and even laughing at times. They didn't talk about the _Rínpadad _or what Skyla had seen, instead chatting about anything else that came to mind, random things. Heryniel introduced her to some of her friends who had previously been too shy to talk to the Lombax. But they quickly grew accustomed to her and revealed themselves to be slightly childish young women who laughed a lot. Usually, Skyla was easily irritated by giggly young girls (though there hadn't been many at the facility), but she allowed her irritation to pass this time and instead settled to enjoy their company.

Unfortunately, they proved to be quite stereotypical young girls and insisted on giving Skyla a makeover. The Lombax was somewhat horrified when they came to her with flowers and multicoloured ribbons and it was all Skyla could do not to flee into the forest. Heryniel just sat there and laughed as her friends attacked Skyla with their weapons of mass decoration. In all fairness, they did wash Skyla thoroughly and mend her clothes, which the Lombax was very grateful to them for. But when they started sewing ribbons into the hemming of her clothing and picking out flowers for her hair, Skyla started to get a little apprehensive. Alas, there was little she could do and Heryniel was refusing to translate her pleas for them to stop, so she could only sit helplessly as they showered her with flowers and ribbons. They brushed her hair thoroughly and weaved it into an intricate braid which they looped around her head, interwoven with a variety of flowers. They all giggled and chatted happily as they worked, Skyla completely oblivious to what they were saying unless Heryniel chose to translate the odd statement like 'Loth says you have lovely hair' or 'Silme wishes she had eyes as blue as yours'.

When they were finally done, they showed her her reflection in a kind of polished crystal. The Lombax took a moment to take herself in. She looked as if she was half animal, half plant from the amount of vegetation covering her body. Her clothes were lined with colourful petals and ribbons, and they looked almost as if they'd been made that way and weren't the clothing of a slave. A crown of flowers sat on her head in delicate shades of lavender and white, braided into her hair with nimble fingers. But Skyla didn't see any of that when she looked into the mirror, what she saw was an entirely different spectacle.

She saw a creature who had seen horrific things, a creature who had known grief from an early age. A creature who's past was a mess and whose future was clouded and uncertain. She saw every cut and bruise on her body, telling of the hard times she'd been through. She would have scars now, without a doubt. Yet most of all, she saw a creature at a cautious peace with themselves. That wasn't to suggest they liked what life had handed them, and it was fair enough to say they hated it...but they accepted it. And in her eyes, there was no longer the tormented, ignorant soul that had been caged for so many years, but a calm, knowing being, just beginning to leave her confinement. The healing process had begun.

"Skyla?" came a voice and the Lombax looked around. All the young Enyd were watching her expectantly and she realised she'd been staring at herself for a long time.

"You...like?" one of the girls asked her hesitantly, Loth, if she remembered correctly. Skyla glanced at herself again, looking beneath the flowers and colours and into her very being.

"Yes..." she murmured, "I like."

* * *

><p>When it was publicly announced that Skyla was leaving, there was a general feeling of sadness all around. The Enyd had grown fond of their furry companion and weren't happy to see her go. Lhach and Beleg had volunteered to escort Skyla to the settlement and had arranged their ride and supplies.<p>

All too soon, it was time to say goodbye.

Quite a crowd had gathered outside Heryn's dome to bid the Lombax farewell. She said goodbye to them all in their own tongue which they seemed to enjoy. One of the children shyly presented her with a bracelet made of woven grasses and lilac coloured flowers. Skyla slipped it on at once and gave the little Enyd a hug in gratitude. The little creature hugged her back and soon all the children were hugging her.

It was Heryn who finally intervened when they'd all had at least one embrace.

"Are you ready?" she asked the Lombax. Skyla nodded,

"Yes."

"Then farewell, Skyla the Lombax. May peace times be ahead for you and those you hold dear." Skyla bowed her head then looked up at the Enyd elder,

"_Gen hannon, Heryn Naneth..._for everything," Skyla said as strongly as she could. Heryn did not smile, but her eyes sparkled,

"You are welcome," she replied in the common tongue. Heryniel came forward next, smiling sadly at the Lombax.

"I am sorry you must go, Skyla. You will visit us?" she asked hopefully. Skyla nodded,

"Yes, the first chance I get," she told her truthfully. Even in the short time she'd known the Enyd, she felt a friendship with her and would be true to her word, she would return one day, when she was a true, free creature. The two girls embraced fiercely.

"We will miss you," Heryniel whispered to her.

"And I, you," Skyla replied, squeezing the girl ever so slightly. They drew apart and Heryniel glanced at Lhach and Beleg, saying something to them in their tongue. The two men nodded solemnly.

The _Medisalch_ turned out to be the 6-legged deer Skyla had seen when she first arrived. Some of them had been tamed and were used as mounts on long hunts and far reaching journeys. There were two of them waiting tethered for Skyla and the two Ohtar. Lhach helped Skyla onto one of them before swinging up in front of her. The creatures were female, obviously, as they had no antlers. Skyla figured it would be hard to ride a male with full grown antlers sticking out at you. They wore a kind of saddle made from thick plant leaves with thin reins travelling from their mouth to the rider. A pouch hung down the side of the one Beleg rode, containing the supplies they'd be needing for the day journey.

Skyla turned to wave goodbye to the Enyd as they began to move off. The children ran after them, waving and laughing and shouting good bye in their language. They stopped when they reached the edge of the village and simply stood waving enthusiastically. Skyla watched as they began to disappear behind the trees of the forest and her heart fluttered slightly. For some reason, she got the strangest feeling of dread, waving goodbye to the Enyd, as if she would never see them again. She shook her head violently, those thoughts were taboo. She _would_ see them again, one day.

But nothing could erase the uneasiness that settled in her heart as she journeyed further and further away from the creatures who had shown her the greatest kindness, and deeper into the unknown.

Once they were a decent distance from the village, Beleg and Lhach broke into a faster pace, setting their steeds to a steady canter through the undergrowth. When this first happened, Skyla had been surprised at the increase in speed and instinctively gripped Lhach's shoulder's tighter. He laughed and called something to Beleg who also laughed and pulled alongside them. He grinned at Skyla,

"You like...fast?" he asked in a halting manner. The Lombax nodded giddily, not knowing how else to answer. Beleg and Lhach shared a glance and Skyla just had time to wish she hadn't nodded when they whooped and egged their mounts into a faster pace.

The forest whipped past Skyla as they galloped through the trees, leaping over fallen logs and bounding over low-lying shrubs. It took a while for Skyla to grow accustomed to their speed and a little longer for her hands to loosen their grip on Lhach's shoulders.

They travelled for a long time at that pace before slowing to their original canter for the rest of the day. The _Medisalch_ had good stamina, it appeared, as the creatures did not seem at all phased by the long distance they were running. Eventually, when it was nearing nightfall and getting hard to see in front of them, they stopped for the night.

When Lhach helped Skyla down to the ground, she nearly collapsed as her legs groaned in pain. She'd never ridden before and her limbs were complaining whole-heartedly about the experience. She tried to sit down but Beleg gestured for her not to do that. He mimed walking about and she understood. It was painful, but after a few minutes of walking the pain had died considerably.

The Ohtar set about making a rough camp, tethering the _Medisalch_ a few metres from their position and removing their supplies for the evening meal. There was no fire but the weather was mild enough so Skyla made do with a blanket Lhach handed her. The men spoke very little of her language so she understood practically nothing of their conversation, but found them nevertheless good company. They were very amusing to watch, and Skyla quite happily spent the evening studying their interactions which were very animated (for her sake, she guessed) and humorous. They over exaggerated their facial expressions and gestures while they chatted good naturedly (at least, that's what Skyla gathered).

From what the Lombax could pick up, they were very typically male as she caught several words she recognised, like Heryniel, Loth, Silme and the Heryn in general. Girls, basically. Lhach seemed to be teasing Beleg about the females, while Beleg always retorted with pointed questions about Lhach and Heryniel which always made him blush. Skyla even laughed every now and again at their expressions of shock at something the other had said. Before she went to sleep, Skyla stripped herself of all trace of flowers and ribbons. Although she was grateful for the Enyd's...administrations, she knew they were not at all practical for her near future. The only thing she kept was the bracelet, while the rest was set aside to biodegrade naturally. Lhach and Beleg seemed to understand what she was doing, prompting Lhach to make a comment about one of the Enyd girls which had Beleg hitting him around the head.

They slept under the trees without a cover that night, as it was the Enyd way. Skyla was given a blanket to sleep on and another to use as a cover. To her surprise, the one she lay on was made of a kind of spongy natural material that was actually rather comfortable.

The next morning, they had a brief breakfast, cleared their camp, fed the _Medisalch _and were off again. Skyla's leg muscles ached from their ride but she refused to give in and forced herself to get back onto the _Medisalch_. They resumed their pace from yesterday, and Skyla found herself enjoying it a lot more as she'd grown increasingly accustomed to it. Her hair whipped behind her with the speed and she felt a rush of adrenalin as she raised her hands into the air at one point (not too high, though), feeling the wind rush through her fur. It felt delicious.

Just as Heryn had said, they arrived at the settlement late in the morning and they came to a halt a short distance away. Lhach pointed with a finger through the trees,

"There," he said. Skyla peered around him and looked to where he was pointing. She could just make out the start of a clearing and what was definitely a building of some sort. They dismounted and tied their mounts up before approaching the clearing on foot.

As they neared it, Skyla suddenly got an increasing sense of dread with each step they took and her animal instincts seemed to flare. They were just near the tree line when she stopped, pulling Lhach back from where he'd been about to walk out. He gave her an odd look but she put a finger to her lips, her senses tingling uneasily. The Ohtar's eyes narrowed slightly but he withdrew obligingly and let her go in front, staying with Beleg in the shelter of the trees. Skyla crept behind the tree furthest into the clearing which had a large shrub conveniently placed beside it. She half crouched on the ground and peered between the gaps in the vegetation.

The settlement stood before her, no more than a simple building, one storey high and not that big. It was made of metal and had several dishes on its roof along with a tall pointed thing Skyla took to be an aerial. It had technology, that was certain. But what else did it have. She waited, eyes narrowed slightly. It all seemed so quiet. Too quiet.

She couldn't see the entrance from where she was, but thought she saw movement just around it. Her heart began to pound violently and her throat dried as the movement became more pronounced. An unmistakeable figure stepped out of the building, standing just to the side, barely 30 metres from her position but right in her line of sight. It was a Snivelakian in recognisable uniform, a guard from the facility. Her heart froze in realisation.

Baen had beaten her to the settlement.

Baen had found her.

* * *

><p>Skyla pulled back sharply behind the tree, had he seen her? No, he'd been facing the other way. She crept back to Lhach and Beleg as quick as she could. She began pointing and making subtle gestures that they should move back into the forest when all of a sudden, Beleg gave a great cry and collapsed to the ground. Skyla jumped and instinctively took up a defensive position, eyes raking their surroundings for any sign of an attacker. But there wasn't one. She glanced down at the Ohtar. There was no sign of an injury on him, no visible reason for his outcry. Shouts from behind told her the Snivelakian had heard them. They'd be caught any minute now if they didn't take shelter.<p>

Lhach was on the ground with Beleg, cradling his friend gently. The two were murmuring very fast in their own tongue and though Skyla had no idea what they were saying, fear began to pool in her stomach at their tone. Something was wrong. Very, wrong. The sounds of footsteps rapidly coming towards them spurred her into action. They had to run – now.

Skyla tapped Lhach on the shoulder, desperately gesturing the oncoming creatures and indicating they should retreat into the forest. Lhach looked to be in shock but nodded and pointed at Beleg's legs. Understanding, Skyla scooped up the Ohtar's feet and helped Lhach move him back into the cover of the trees. The Lombaxes large ears picked up the sounds of the guards entering the forest and heard one of them call orders to spread out. There was more than one of them. The trio hurried away, seeking shelter as they did, anywhere they could hide.

Skyla's heart skipped a beat as she heard the guards crashing through the woodlands. They had perhaps seconds. Spotting a large clump of shrubs she gestured madly with her head towards it. Lhach followed her gaze and they headed straight for it, crawling under the branches and dragging the incapacitated Ohtar with them. The hiding place was very weak and it wouldn't take much for them to be found, but as the sounds of footsteps began to echo all around, they had no choice but to stay. Ears bolt upright, Skyla lay on her stomach, peering through the leaves as she endeavoured to hear or see the whereabouts of their pursuers. Hearing no-one in the immediate vicinity, she risked a glance back at the Ohtar.

Beleg was breathing heavily and looked to be in a great deal of pain. His eyes were screwed shut in silent anguish and he was whispering fiercely to Lhach, voice slightly strained as if it was an effort to talk. Lhach's voice was hoarse as he murmured questions and Skyla saw tears begin to drip down his face, one by one. Utterly confused and out of her depth, Skyla moved over to them. She studied Beleg carefully. He bore no sign of physical harm, but he was in such obvious pain that he had to be suffering somehow. Maybe it was a mental pain, but how would that work? Then again, she knew next to nothing about the Enyd and their anatomy. She looked at Lhach, brow knotted in distressed confusion. She didn't know what was going on, so therefore could not help. Lhach blinked back tears and pointed to his friend.

"Sister, dead," he muttered thickly and Skyla's heart plummeted, "he dead...soon."

"How?" Skyla whispered. Beleg muttered something and his voice cracked with emotion, tears beginning to fall unchecked down his own face.

"Enyd...attack," Lhach told her. Skyla's heart hit the bottom of what felt like a very deep pit.

"Who?" she croaked, but she already knew the answer.

"Bad...men. With guns. Attack Enyd, now," Lhach replied.

"They're under attack now?" Skyla exclaimed, then clamped her mouth shut, that was perhaps too loud. Lhach nodded slightly,

"Attack now. Soon, all die." Skyla blinked rapidly, this couldn't be happening. The Enyd were under attack...from Baen? How was that possible? Had he found out where she was? But she wasn't there anymore. And they were a day away from the Enyd, so there was nothing they could do to help.

Lhach reached out a hand and placed it over Beleg's heart.

"_Nin gwanur,"_ he said solemnly and Beleg's lips twitched into a weak smile. His breaths were becoming shorter and shorter with each passing second.

"_Nin gwanur,"_ the other Ohtar echoed feebly and coughed. Though he tried to keep it quiet, Skyla sensed they'd been heard. And she whirled around as footsteps approached their hiding place. She crouched low, positioning herself so she was ready to attack whoever it was and at least protect the Ohtar. Through the branches, she saw two thick legs stop beside the bush and the figure leaned forward to part the vegetation. Skyla looked up, readying to jump. Then she paused.

It was Grignak.

The Reaper stared at her, surprise momentarily reflecting on his features as he registered her presence. His eyes flicked to the two Ohtar and then back to Skyla. The Lombax simply looked at him, waiting for him to move. She didn't know why, but she was going to let Grignak decide what happened right now. He could call out, turn them in, or...what?

For a moment, the Reaper and the Lombax just looked at one another. Grignak's face remained as impassive as ever, and Skyla gazed solemnly back, displaying no fear, merely a curiosity to what he would do.

"Grignak?" called a voice from behind the Reaper. There was more movement. Skyla refused to blink as she continued to meets the guard's yellow eyes. All of a sudden, Grignak pulled away, letting the bushes fall back into place naturally. Skyla remained frozen to the spot as he moved away.

"Grignak," the voice again and Skyla could just see another pair of legs through the leaves belonging to another guard, barely five metres from her position, "did you find anything?" Skyla's breath caught in her throat and she felt the air seem to tense around her as she waited for his answer.

"No," the Reaper replied simply and moved off, closely followed by the other guard. Seconds ticked by one by one and silence descended over the forest once again as the guards fell back to the settlement. Grignak had let them go. They were safe, for now.

Skyla turned back to the Ohtar and her heart stopped for a few seconds. Beleg was lying on the ground, no longer moving...no longer breathing. Lhach was weeping uncontrollably by his friend, holding his hand and grasping it tightly, whispering words in their own language that sounded like a prayer. The Lombax looked on the Ohtar who appeared to be sleeping, a smile still hanging around his lips. But already there was an emptiness about him that told anyone he would never wake again. Not knowing what else to do, Skyla put an arm around the mourning Ohtar, offering whatever comfort she could as another being to share in his loss. She may not have known the man long, but she had liked Beleg a lot...yet she still didn't understand why he was suddenly lying lifeless on the ground.

Her senses were still on high alert as they were still too close to the guards for her liking. They had to move, and soon. She squeezed Lhach's shoulder gently and he looked up at her, tears streaming down his face. He must have seen the confusion and urgency in her eyes as he nodded.

Together, they crawled out from the bushes, pulling the limp Ohtar with them. Picking him up as they had done before, they hurried back to where the _Medisalch_ were tethered and waiting, having been undiscovered by the guards. They lay Beleg on the ground gently and Lhach sat down with him, alongside his friend. Skyla glanced towards the settlement, and then the direction the Enyd village lay. What now? She glanced at Lhach who was staring at Beleg.

"Lhach?" Skyla murmured and when he looked up at her with empty eyes, a cold feeling washed over her as if she was looking at a creature with nothing left to live for, a creature who had lost everything. The Lombax shrugged her shoulders helplessly as if to say, what now? She didn't want to be rude or disrespectful to Lhach, but she was honestly clueless what to do. She still needed to reach the settlement, but if the Enyd were in trouble...

Lhach shook his head as if reading her thoughts and stood up. He pointed to her and then to the settlement.

"You...go," he said in a shaky voice. The Lombax's eyes widened,

"What? No! I'm not leaving you," she said firmly, pointing to the ground for emphasis. Lhach shook his head again and pointed once more to the settlement.

"You go. Find way...find help, you," he spoke very haltingly, but Skyla understood well enough. She shook her head,

"No. I'm staying here."

"You go or he die...nothing. Nothing more. Enyd die, nothing more. You go," Lhach told her. Skyla's brow knotted,

"I...don't understand," she said weakly, "I want to help. The Enyd are in trouble, I want to help." Lhach looked at her sadly,

"Enyd no need help. Enyd die. All."

"How?" Skyla cried, desperately confused. What was he saying? That the Enyd were all dead? How?

"No know. Not live more longer. Some flee. Not live long. Me die soon," the Ohtar said sorrowfully. Skyla's eyes shot up in surprise,

"You're dying? How? I don't understand," she repeated in a frustrated manner, feeling much like a child who struggles to comprehend death. Lhach tapped his head,

"Enyd brother, sister," he held up his hands and then linked his fingers together, joining his hands, "one. When brother die," he let one hand fall, "sister die," he let the other hand fall. He pointed to Beleg,

"Sister die, he die," then he pointed to himself, "sister nearly die, me die soon." Comprehension began to dawn on the Lombax. Somehow, Enyd twins were connected, so when one died, the other did to. Skyla looked desperately at Lhach, now knowing she was looking on a creature to whom death was close to calling.

"I want to help, how can I help?" she asked. Lhach pointed once again to the settlement,

"You go. Remember Enyd." He began untying one of the _Medisalch_ and handed the reins to her. Skyla took them automatically, looking from Lhach to the creature to Beleg to the settlement.

"I don't want to leave you," she whispered, feeling tears begin to form behind her eyes. She blinked them back furiously. Lhach smiled gently, then quite without warning, hugged her.

"You Heryniel friend, my friend," he whispered into her ear, "thank you, Skyla Lombax." Skyla froze in realisation, Heryniel was dead too. Suddenly, a wave of grief washed over the Lombax and she hugged the Ohtar fiercely, forcing herself not to cry. Heryniel, her friend, was dead. Was there no-one she could meet and call friend who would live longer than her?

After a moment, they drew apart, Skyla choking on her own emotions. Lhach looked at her sadly and squeezed her hand that held the reins.

"Take _Aesuithiel._ She fine _Medisalch. _Will carry well," he told her, gesturing the creature. With that, he began to lift Beleg's body and set him on the other mount.

"I go bury, far way. Then die. Peace," he said as a way of explanation. He swung up onto the _Medisalch_'s back, though Skyla could see the movement was a strain on him. He looked down at her and she saw sweat beading on his brow. He was dying, and he knew it.

"Good bye, Skyla Lombax," he said, voice shaking only slightly. Skyla bowed her head, hiding her face as a single tear escaped her eye. She swept it away and looked up at the green skinned man.

"_Navaer, Lhach en Ohtar," _she said, using the few words Heryniel had taught her of the Enyd tongue. Lhach smiled gently, though his eyes were half closed. He turned his steed around and began moving off into the forest. All too soon, he was gone. Skyla was alone once again.


	15. Calling for Help

Skyla wanted to sit down and cry, was there nowhere she could go where Baen would not follow? No friend she could make who would outlive her and go untouched by Baen and his men? She wanted to stay where she was and never leave. She wanted to live and die where she stood so that she could bring no harm to others. But, even as she thought that, Maia's voice echoed in her ear, '_don't give up, Sky, you're so close...you can do it_' She couldn't quit now, not when she'd lost so much and gained so little. She had to try. She had a job to do.

So she shook her head of emotional thoughts, scrubbed her eyes to eliminate any tears that had threatened to fall and focused. She had to get into that settlement, somehow, it was the only way she could get help. But how? Right now, she needed to scout the area, see if there was anything she could use to her advantage. Then she had to find a way in and out of the settlement. She glanced at the deer-like creature Lhach had left her, _Aesuithiel, _there was a chance she would come in handy if Skyla found herself in need of a getaway.

First things first, however, and top of the list was scouting.

Taking _Aesuithiel_ deeper into the forest, she tied her up in a secluded spot, away from Baen's men. She gave her slack enough to graze, and told the creature she'd be back as soon as she knew what she was going to do. The _Medisalch_ probably didn't understand her, and simply looked at her solemnly before starting to snack on the shrubs around them. Skyla patted the creature somewhat awkwardly before moving away again.

She took up her former position behind the tree, this time remaining upright and glancing around the tree for the best view. Her eyes flicked backwards and forwards as she studied the settlement and its surroundings as fast as she could.

Directly in front of her was a medium sized building. It was old and made of a dull yellow metal, slightly faded with rust. It was rectangle in shape and had only one visible storey. Attached to the roof were a couple of old dishes and an aerial, so at least she knew it had communication capabilities. From where she stood, she could see one entrance with a platform just outside it forming a semi-circle. On this platform stood three guards, two Snivelakians and a Reaper. If that was the only way in, she had a problem.

Three quarters of the building was encircled by the forest, except for the area in front of the building which was bare ground. To her far left, there were three ships parked and behind them what looked like a cliff. On the other side of the cliff she saw more buildings, indicating there was more of the settlement. The remains of a bridge that may have at one point breached the cliff edges could be seen on either side, but there was no way across now unless you could fly. The ships were medium in size, able to hold 1 pilot and 3 large passengers by her estimation. That made 12 of them, at the most. She could see some other guards lounging around the ships, they looked bored. What were they doing here anyway? Lhach had said something about the Enyd village being attacked, was that Baen as well? If so, that meant there were more on the planet, and she had no way of knowing when they would be back.

Slowly, she retreated amongst the trees and began circling around the building to give herself a 360 degree view of it. To her delight, she discovered there was a back entrance to the building in the form of a large archway. From where she stood at the very back of the building, she could see right through the building and out the other end. She had a way in, but the downside was that she could easily be seen by the guards so stealth would be everything. From what she saw, the building was split into two rooms. The one nearest to her appeared to contain technology in the form of screens and electronic gizmos, and the one furthest from her seemed empty.

Once she'd finished her surveillance scan of the area, Skyla went back to where she'd left _Aesuithiel_. The creature was grazing peacefully and gave her a light huff in greeting before returning to her dainty nibbling. Skyla patted her in an absent minded manner as her mind whirred in thought. Piece by piece she assembled a plan of action, taking everything she'd seen into account. The back entrance, the technology, the guards...nothing was overlooked. When it was complete, the Lombax smiled. She had a plan. It was simple, but with expert execution and a dash of luck...it might just work.

* * *

><p>Skyla moved towards the back entrance of the building with all the grace and stealth of an Aquatos Sea Tiger. She slipped into the settlement like a shadow, making absolutely no noise so as not to alert the guards to her presence. They seemed to be chatting idly, not particularly interested in anything at the present. That wasn't necessarily a good thing; bored guards were either a blessing or a curse depending on how eager they were for action.<p>

Once in the building, the Lombax tiptoed over to the nearest terminal, just out of sight of the guards. She looked over the workstation before her. There was a screen and a series of multicoloured buttons. It didn't look active, but there was a low humming in the air that told her something around the place was alive with electricity. Skyla ducked behind the terminal which was thankfully not positioned up against the wall and sure enough, there were wires disconnected. Establishing which wires belonged to her terminal, she began following them with her fingers, plugging in the wires where they were needed (most were colour-coded making the process a lot more easier). Finally, there was just one last wire to rig up, the main plug for her terminal. Skyla slotted it in and froze in anticipation, silently praying it wouldn't make a loud noise. To her immense relief, the machine only gave her two small bleeps and a light hum began to emanate from the workstation. It was working.

Sliding out from behind the terminal, Skyla saw that the buttons had lit up and the screen flickered to life, displaying a list of commands. With a quick glance to check the guards were still oblivious, she pressed for 'Transmissions – New Transmission'. It came up with a box, asking for either a typed or recorded message. Selecting typed message she jumped slightly as a keyboard slid out in front of her with a 'shluck' sound. Her eyes instinctively flicked back to the guards at the noise before returning to the keyboard. She began to type, thanking her lucky stars once again that Maia had taught her how to read and write.

Skyla kept the message simple but clear, carefully re-reading it before she clicked the 'send' button.

_'Request help immediately. Location – Eudora, Baran Forest. Co-ordinates attached. Contact authorities – need assistance – armed forces attacking. Please help. Lives at risk – slaves on Florana. Request help immediately. End.'_ It was basic, but contained enough to alert anyone who picked it up. Once she'd made sure the co-ordinates were attached and selected 'Off-World Transmission – Scatter Radius', it was ready to send. Then she had a thought, what if someone didn't pick it up immediately? If she sent more than one transmission, she would stand a better chance of being heard. Navigating the controls she found the command for 'Repeat Transmission' and set it to resend every 10 seconds. That way, even if it was transmitting for only a minute, at least 6 messages would be sent. She clicked send.

A red box popped up flashing the words 'Passcode Required For Off-World Transmission'. Skyla's eyes narrowed dangerously and she just kept herself from swearing out loud, instead forcing herself to calm and concentrate. This was an obstacle, but one she could...and would, get over. She didn't know the passcode and guessing wouldn't get her anywhere and would probably set off some sort of alarm, so she'd have to override it manually. Diving back behind the terminal, she searched for the wires she needed. Finding the ones that were labelled 'security' and coloured red she pulled them out and began prying them apart to find the bare metal wrapped into the plastic. Holding the ends of two wires in her fingers, she touched them together, the fusing of the currents causing sparks to fly. She sent up a quick prayer this would work, hoping that what Jaymz had taught her about electrics would be enough. There was a small 'putt' sound like a light going out and a thin trail of smoke curled up from one of the plugs. The machine beeped once again and Skyla swung around the workstation, hauling herself upright and staring expectantly at the screen. The passcode box flickered and disappeared, replaced with the message 'System Override – Sending Transmission'. A bar appeared on the screen and began rapidly moving towards completion. Skyla felt relief flood her as a moment later it flashed 'Transmission Sent'. She'd done it!

"Hey!" her head snapped up at the voice. One of the guards was standing in the next room and he was looking directly at her. His mouth hung open in mild shock for a moment as his brain slowly registered her presence, then he seemed to regain his voice.

"She's..." he began to call but Skyla was on him like a shot before he could finish. She pummelled his stomach with her fists, winding him, then kneed him fiercely in the chin as he double over, causing his head to shoot back with the force. She took a small step back and swung her leg in a roundhouse kick, driving her foot into his gut and shoving him back where he fell to the ground.

"Oi!" called another voice and the two other guards leapt to their feet. Skyla took one look at them and made a split second decision. Instead of staying to fight, she turned and ran. Thankfully, the guards followed her straight out of the building, neither of them stopping to see what she'd done on the terminal. She sprinted through the trees, ears turned backward as she listened to them coming after her. One of them was yelling into a radio, asking for back up. That was good and bad. The less of them there were at the settlement, the smaller the chance of them discovering her transmission, but that meant there would be more to pursue her and consequently, a greater chance of her getting caught.

Being significantly faster than both guards, Skyla made it to _Aesuithiel _without hindrance and rushed to un-tether the creature, leaping onto its back when it was free. Copying what Lhach had done with the reins she pulled it left sharply and gave it a swift kick in the side. The creature began cantering in that direction, adjacent to the settlement and Skyla grinned as she heard the angry howls of the guards as they watched her disappear into the trees. A moment later, she heard the sounds of more guards entering the forest and there was a lot of shouting going on. She spurred _Aesuithiel_ on into a gallop, satisfied they would be working out how to pursue her and not bothering with checking the settlement. If she could just keep them occupied for a small amount of time, someone would be more likely to pick up her transmission and come to her aid.

Skyla slowed the _Medisalch_ with a pull on the reins once they'd gone a significant distance from the settlement. She was at a distinct advantage atop a steed, and unless the guards had some form of speedy transport, they weren't going to catch her any time soon.

Almost immediately after she'd thought that, she heard sounds of pursuit that most definitely were not footsteps. A quick glance back confirmed her fears and she cursed loudly, yanking _Aesuithiel_ around and kicking her into a fast gallop. She knew those noises and they didn't bode well for her. They had hover-bikes, and were rapidly gaining from the sound of it.

The Lombax struggled to keep her seat as her mount hurtled on, bounding over shrubs and undergrowth. She thanked her lucky stars Lhach had left her _Aesuithiel_, as this gave her just that much more time to outrun the guards. Alas, the _Medisalch_ was fast, but the guards were faster and all too soon she heard them right behind her. Jerking the reins, Skyla turned the _Medisalch_ right, hoping to throw them off. They simply looped around and proceeded to gain on her once again. Following a few more random turns Skyla realised she couldn't get rid of them. They were always on her tail, and getting closer with each passing minute. As she leapt over a fallen log she saw, from the corner of her eye, the tip of a hover-bike. Then all of a sudden, he was alongside her, matching her pace with ease. A quick glance the other way told her she was now sandwiched in-between the two vehicles as they sped through the woodland. Going faster was not an option, as _Aesuithiel _was already running at full pelt, her animal instincts sensing Skyla's fear and giving the creature a rush of adrenalin, and slowing down would be useless to both of them.

They continued to journey like this for another minute or so, and then one of the guards drew out a gun and terror gripped Skyla's heart as he pointed it at the _Medisalch_. Reacting impulsively, she lashed out at him with her fist, knocking him off balance and nearly losing her own seat in the process. Righting herself, she kicked her mount, trying to lose them once again, but to no avail. The guard the other side of her moved dangerously close to her and she was nearly smashed into a tree. He made to grab her and pull her off but she ducked his blow, practically flattening herself against the _Medisalch's_ back to maximise their speed. Thankfully, the one advantage of being chased through a forest was that branches and shrubs were everywhere. This terrain was obviously foreign to the guards and they had to concentrate more on driving then catching her. _Aesuithiel_ was born to run through these forests, and compared to her, the guards were riding bumbling elephants. But despite this, they had speed and fuel on their side, not to mention numbers. And _Aesuithiel _couldn't run forever.

Then the moment came when one of the hover-bikes just hooked under _Aesuithiel's_ side as she leapt over a log and her back legs were caught, causing her to trip. The creature fell headlong into the ground and Skyla was thrown from the saddle, over the _Medisalch's_ head and sent crashing into a clump of shrubs. Pain shot through her as her arm flung hard against a tree trunk and she heard something snap in her wrist. She was badly winded, and one breath told her her ribs were badly bruised and one or two might even be broken. But she didn't have time to recover her breath and forced herself to move, shoving aside the branches as she hauled herself to her feet. Agony racked her body and her left hand felt oddly disjointed and she knew she had practically snapped her wrist bone in two. Hobbling over to the _Medisalch_ she took one look and knew it was helpless. The creature was lowing in pain, not even bothering to try and get up as its front right leg was jutting out at the wrong angle. _Aesuithiel_ wouldn't be going anywhere.

Skyla's ears picked up noises and she realised the hover-bikes were turning around, heading straight for her. Ignoring her screaming body she took up a defensive position, feet apart and at the ready. It was useless to try and flee. The bikes slowed and stopped in front of her and the guards swung off. She recognised them but couldn't put names to their faces. They began to advance on her and she tensed, raising her fists in preparation for battle, though she grimaced slightly as her left hand protested at the movement. One of the guards laughed,

"No point in fighting, Lombax. You've lost." Skyla scowled and backed up as they approached,

"It isn't over until it's over," she growled.

"Don't fight and we promise we won't hurt you," the guard said, his voice laced with menace as his eyes flashed dangerously. Skyla smiled grimly and she knew that even if she didn't fight, they would still find ways to hurt her,

"Like that's going to happen," she muttered. Then they attacked.

* * *

><p>The Lombax put up a good fight but with a broken wrist, battered torso and two to one disadvantage, she was quickly overwhelmed by the guards. They roughly set her on one of the hover-bike seats, not even bothering to restrain her as they hadn't been gentle in handling her. As they began to speed off, Skyla heard <em>Aesuithiel<em> give a low moan and she winced, praying that death would find the creature soon and ease her suffering. She felt her cuts reopen and bruises begin to blossom all over her body once again, courtesy of the guards. All Heryn's careful treatment – wasted.

In no time, they were back at the settlement and the bikes stopped outside the building. Skyla was shoved unceremoniously onto the ground where she growled at the jarred impact and just kept herself from vomiting in pain as waves of nausea washed over her.

"We got her, boss," one of the guards said, pride evident in his voice as if he'd achieved something great, and not just beaten an already wounded creature half his size.

"Well done, thanks, Snakar," came the reply. Skyla recognised that voice and sure enough, when she looked up she saw Drako looking down at her, a mixture of emotions in his eyes. He shook his head somewhat sorrowfully,

"You should never have left, Sky." The Lombax's eyes narrowed and she slowly stood upright, taking care not to show how much pain she was in. She didn't have to look around to know she was surrounded by guards, but over Drako's shoulder she saw that 5 more ships had arrived since her departure. The others had returned.

"You killed the Enyd," she spat at the Snivelakian, anger beginning to blaze in her heart and filling her with an odd new energy that wasn't adrenalin and seemed somewhat more potent and deadly. Drako shrugged a little apologetically,

"Orders," he said simply.

"I'll kill you," Skyla said in a low, threatening voice, her eyes like cold steel, "I'll kill all of you...for what you've done. You _murderers_," she glanced around the gathered guards as she spoke, making eye contact with them all so they knew how serious she was. She was itching to attack them all right here, right now, and tear each of them to bits of flesh and bone. That was the least they deserved. But they'd stop her before she even took down one. Her revenge would have to wait. Drako sighed heavily,

"It's over, Sky." The Lombax gave him a hard look,

"No, it's not," she murmured.

As if on cue, there was the sound of gunfire and two of the ships exploded. Several forms swept past in the sky and immediately began to circle back. The force of the explosion had knocked a couple of the guards over and Drako immediately began yelling, quick to react to the rapid change of situation.

"WE'RE UNDER ATTACK! PILOTS, TO YOUR SHIPS AND TAKE DOWN THOSE ATTACKERS. EVERYONE ELSE, FALL BACK TO THE SETTLEMENT!" The reptiles hurried to comply, their training kicking in at the military authority in Drako's voice. Skyla looked up into the sky as guards began to run all around her, searching for the source of the gun fire. She quickly found it, three ships circling above them, preparing to make another fly by.

Arms wrapped around her and began pulling her away. Without thinking, she lashed out, elbowing the person in the gut and wriggling free from their grasp. She broke free just in time to see several rockets being fired by the oncoming ships and she threw herself to the ground as the rest of Baen's ships exploded in one enormous fireball. Heat washed over her head, but she was mainly protected by the body of whichever guard it was who had grabbed her. Skyla glanced up to take in the damage. Those guards who'd made it to their ships had been fried on the spot while those still trying to reach them had been thrown back by the fireball and lay on the ground, unmoving.

Skyla ducked as one of the ships nearer to her had a delayed explosion and bits of metal flew over her head. Crouched low on the ground she searched the sky for the flying ships to see if they fired again. As she watched, several forms leapt out of the ships from right above her and began a rapid descent. She couldn't see who or what they were but didn't have time as more arms grabbed her, hauling her towards the settlement. She struggled fiercely, limbs flying as she fought the reptiles. One of them clasped her shoulder firmly and she immediately twisted, sinking her teeth into the scaly flesh. The guard gave a cry of pain and pulled back, giving Skyla time to yank herself free. But she was outnumbered yet again and surrounded. Her ears lay flat against her skull as she hissed like an animal at her attackers, her eyes positively blazing with energy. She may not be in peak fighting condition, but she was _NOT _going down without a fight.

The reptiles leapt at her in unison and Skyla had to call upon every ounce of her training skills not to succumb to them then and there. She fought them tooth and claw, biting anything that came near her mouth and scratching any bare skin that came into view. Yelps and growls of pain told her she was doing damage, so she kept going, rage coursing through her veins and filling her with a potent power. Two strong hands grabbed her arms and she kicked out with her legs, pushing off from her captor and barrelling into another guard, knocking him over.

There was more shouting all around and she vaguely registered the falling forms land a little way away, running towards her, but she paid them no real attention. If they were the enemy, she'd take them on like the others. If not...she'd get to that later.

Some of the guards around her turned to meet the oncoming attackers while others doubled their effort to overpower her. Three of them caught her at once, pinning her arms and legs. But she refused to hold still and struggled for all she was worth, fuelled by the strange energy that felt like a mixture of rage, anger, fear and grief. Needless to say, it kept her going.

Suddenly, one of the guards holding her fell to the ground with a grunt. The other two only gripped her tighter, sinking their claws into her flesh and drawing blood. One of them had a grasp on her injured wrist and she yowled in pain as it tightened, spots of pain blurring her vision. Then they weren't holding her anymore and she fell to the ground with a thud. From the corner of her eye, she saw the guards who'd been holding her fighting something, or someone, but then they too were on the floor. Another pair of hands grabbed Skyla and she lashed out once again, subconsciously wondering how much longer she could go on resisting them.

"No! It's alright, I'm here to help!" She frowned at the voice in her ear and stopped struggling for a moment . That wasn't a reptilian voice. It sounded young, and male and...mammalian. Twisting where she was, she pulled away from her captor, body tensed to fight if they proved unfriendly.

She froze.

Standing before her, with wide green eyes and unmistakeable features...was a Lombax.


	16. Flight Fight

Time seemed to grind to a halt as Skyla stared into the impossibly green eyes of one who shouldn't exist. The sounds of fighting died around her and seconds turned to hours as she looked on him. This couldn't be real. She had to be seeing things...right? She blinked once and he was still there, still staring at her, an expression of shock on his own features. And he was solid, that was sure, as his arms were holding her and in his right hand he held what could only be described as a large wrench.

But still, how...?

From the corner of her eye, Skyla saw one of the guards charging towards them, a short knife raised in his fist, pointing directly at the...man in front of her. Almost without thinking, Skyla pushed off with her legs, pulling the man behind her and using her body as a shield as the guard descended upon them. She saw the reptile's eyes widen in shock as he realised who he was about to stab and tried to pull back, but his own momentum carried him forward, bringing the dagger with him.

Skyla let out a small moan as the knife slid into her shoulder, just below her collar bone, burying itself up to the hilt in her flesh. Blood sprayed everywhere and it took all of Skyla's self control not to faint then and there.

The man behind her pushed her out of the way and dealt the guard a mean blow with his wrench, knocking him out instantly and letting him fall to the ground with a thump. He turned back to Skyla and crouched down by her. It was then Skyla realised she was on the ground, but didn't remember falling. The man's mouth was moving but she couldn't make out any words, just a long slurring noise as shouts and screams echoed around her head. She blinked slowly, why was the world spinning? Everything was swimming in and out of focus like an old holo-vid camera and she couldn't distinguish one noise from another.

The man glanced up and sprang to his feet and Skyla vaguely registered him engaging another guard in combat. From where she lay, she could see nothing of the goings on, and there was still a knife sticking out of her. Raising a shaky hand to her shoulder, Skyla grasped the handle of the dagger and, clenching her teeth firmly together so she wouldn't bite her tongue, pulled the blade from her body. A single high pitched noise escaped her as she felt the cold steel slide from her flesh, but then it was done and her hand fell to the ground, still clutching the knife. She was panting heavily and spots danced before her eyes. She was losing blood, and fast. Clamping a hand over the wound she squeezed, ignoring the pain, seeking only to try and slow the loss of blood as much as she could. Her hand was quickly soaked in blood and slipped over her fur, but she refused to let go. There were noises all around, and she couldn't see a thing from where she lay. She had to get up.

Drawing on her severely depleted supply of energy, she pulled herself to her feet, cradling her injured arm which had now suffered a broken wrist and a stab wound in the space of about 10 minutes. She swayed violently where she stood and stumbled several steps before regaining some form of balance.

Suddenly, the man was beside her again and talking to her, but for some reason she couldn't hear him, it was like there was something in her brain slowing every noise down to an indecipherable slur. She closed her eyes as waves of nausea washed over her and she felt her body begin to topple, powerless to stop herself.

Strong arms caught her and she instinctively latched onto them with her one good hand, using them as an anchor as she pulled her feet beneath her once again. Lifting her head, she blinked heavily and took in her surroundings.

It was chaos.

Baen's guards were under attack from a small troop of robots, all near identical in appearance. The fighting was vicious and the reptiles had no problem with attacking their opponents full on. The robots didn't seem to be engaging in hand-to-hand combat, relying on guns that were built into their arms to take down the guards. It did the job and guard after guard fell under a barrage of fire, though Skyla got the feeling it wasn't live ammo. Not to mention the guards were outnumbered and every robot that fell beneath them was replaced while the damaged android was dragged out of harm's way.

Skyla felt movement behind her and she looked up in time to see Drako bearing down on her. He snatched for her while the man was distracted with another guard, pulling her away roughly. Skyla tried to lash out with the dagger in her hand, but Drako knew her too well and immediately had her arms pinned behind her back, sending the knife spinning from her grasp. The man whipped around to face the reptile and raised his wrench menacingly.

"Let her go," he growled at Drako, and though his words were slurred in sound, Skyla could just about understand them. The Head of Security gave him a curious look and then his eyes flicked over his own troops, registering that they were losing. He shoved Skyla onto the ground and kicked her away with a firm shove.

"I've heard of you," he muttered thickly to the creature, taking up a fighter's stance.

"Have you now?" the man retorted with a little sarcasm, taking up his own stance as he recognised a fellow experienced combatant.

"You're that intergalactic hero...the one who's always saving planets, defeating super-villains and the like," Drako went on as the two beings began circling each other like sharks.

"Then you'll know I'm pretty good at what I do," the man replied with a trace of smugness. The Snivelakian smiled, displaying razor like fangs,

"Let's find out, shall we?" Drako launched himself at the man, and they began to fight.

Their movements were mostly a blur to Skyla as she struggled to get to her feet. Her head felt incredibly light and she knew it was because of the amount of blood she'd lost. Nevertheless, she hauled herself up and set her legs apart so she was decently grounded. Her vision was swirling wildly but she could just make out Drako and the man fighting in front of her. Even with her poor sight, she could tell that both were skilled fighters and were near evenly matched. What Drako lacked in speed he made up in strength, and vice versa with his opponent. All around them, the struggle between the guards and the robots seemed to be diminishing as the guards were gradually overwhelmed one at a time. The robots were winning!

Out of nowhere, two hands grabbed Skyla and yanked her back. She howled in agony as they wrenched at her arm and she felt her shoulder muscle tear at the joint, already in a bad shape from the stab wound. Lashing out with her feet she swung her leg around, kicking her attacker in the gut. There was an 'oomph' sound as air was driven from the reptile and his grip loosened abruptly, sending her crashing to the ground. Pain rocketed through her and she gritted her teeth to stop from yelling again. Raising her head, she caught a glint of something metal and reached for it with her good hand. She had just snatched it up when she was hauled to her feet once again by the recovered Snivelakian. Reacting on impulse, she turned and sank the object into her assailant. There was a yowl of pain as she felt the dagger in her hand bite deep into reptilian flesh and an arm shot out, catching her by surprise and striking her around the head. She gave a light moan and fell to the ground, her head vibrating wildly, suddenly filled with a strange buzzing. The guard fell back, still crying in pain and she didn't know where she'd stabbed him. She tried to move from where she lay but her head was throbbing so badly she couldn't even think straight, let alone move her limbs. The blow had stunned her, and now she was on her back, helpless.

Skyla lay where she was, waiting for the guard to descend on her once again and drag her off. She didn't have the energy to fight back again, and had no way of knowing where they would come from. Then she frowned, was it her imagination, or had the sounds of fighting diminished? Yes, there was definitely less shouting, less screaming, though she could still hear moans of pain from the wounded guards.

Two hands slid under her, gently scooping her up and off the ground. Skyla didn't even try to fight, because not only would that be futile, but something told her that she didn't need to. She was in the arms of someone who was definitely not a reptile, and this she knew from the warmth of their touch, so they could only be a mammal - the man. Sure enough, when Skyla looked up through the hair that had matted over her forehead, she saw the green eyes of the man staring down at her.

"Hold on," he said to her in a clear voice and began moving away. Skyla wanted to tell him that she was fine, and that she could walk on her own and there was really no need for him to carry her, but she couldn't get the words out so let him bear her to wherever he was headed.

They stopped a short distance away and Skyla turned her head slightly to see several robots gathered around.

"We got 'em all, sarge! Every last one!" one of the androids said with a slight whoop to his voice.

"What should we do with 'em?" asked another.

"Round them up and lock them all separately, they'll need to be taken in for questioning," the man replied, "right now, I need to get her some nanotech and then to a hospital."

"Is she gonna be alright, sarge?" another robot asked quietly.

"She's been stabbed in the shoulder and I think her wrist is broken," the man answered by way of explanation with a glance down at Skyla, "where's Aphelion?"

"She's on her way down with the Cazar, look, there they are," one of the robots pointed up and Skyla just glimpsed a small ship landing not far from them. Had he said Cazar? She didn't want to meet another one of Maia's race...they would only remind her of what she'd lost.

"H-22, you're in charge, keep your com-link open at all times and make sure those reptiles don't try anything funny. Be careful with that big one over there, he's a tough one," the man said as he began walking towards the landed ship.

"Sure thing, sarge!" one of the robots saluted him.

"Which one did he mean? They're all big!" another android commented and Skyla couldn't help but smile slightly at his confused tone.

As they approached the ship the hatch opened and a figure jumped out, running towards them. At the same time, Skyla felt something move on the man's back and a weight seemed to lift off it, but she might have been imagining things.

"Skyla!" a voice cried in the grey Lombaxes ear and she winced as the noise reverberated around her head. Couldn't they be a bit quieter? Then she frowned as the noise sank in. Hadn't that been her name? But how...? A shadow fell over her as the figure stopped in front of them

"Sky?" said the voice, quieter now. Skyla blinked. She _knew_ that voice, oh so very well. That voice she knew she would never forget to her dying days. That voice she thought she would never hear again because its owner was...

Something gently brushed away the hair stuck to her forehead.

"Skyla?" the voice repeated softly. The grey Lombax blinked again as a form swam above her. Her vision was still blurred, but with effort, she made out some of the persons face. Her eyes widened in recognition. There was no mistaking that chocolate brown fur, those fox-like ears and facial features. There was no mistaking those warm hazel eyes.

It was Maia.

"She's lost a lot of blood," the man said, "we need to get her some nanotech and fast." Skyla saw her supposedly dead friend nod,

"Right." Skyla finally found her voice,

"M-Maia?" she stammered, not quite believing her eyes, starting to question her own sanity. The Cazar smiled down at her,

"Yes, Sky, it's me," she answered, eyes sparkling.

"Ratchet!" a voice called and the man looked up at his ship, though Skyla couldn't see the voices source, "the Phoenix is waiting for us just out of Eudora's orbit, I have told them to prepare for wounded."

"Thanks, Clank," called the man and moved towards the ship once again. Once there, he began lifting Skyla into the cockpit as gently as he could, setting her into the passenger seat. The grey Lombax wanted to protest that she was fine and could get in on her own, but she was beginning to get fed up of lying to herself all the time. She couldn't even speak from exhaustion, so how was she supposed to climb into a ship? While Skyla was inwardly scolding herself, Maia appeared around the other side and helped settle Skyla in before jumping into the ship as well, wriggling behind Skyla's seat. The man took up the pilot's position and pressed a few buttons. The ship hatch closed and they immediately began to rise into the air.

"Aphelion, have we got any nanotech onboard?" the man asked as they moved off, gaining speed as they went.

"Affirmative," came a feminine voice and Skyla realised it was the ship speaking, "two 500ml worth of liquidised nanotech pouches located in the emergency supplies hold."

"Maia, can you get some out for me?" the pilot asked.

"Of course," the Cazar replied. The grey Lombax heard the noise of something being opened.

"Excuse me, Clank."

"Sorry, Maia." Skyla groaned as her head throbbed acutely and she saw the man glance at her, a worried expression on his face. She paid him little attention, having come to the conclusion that she had gone mad with pain. How else was she to explain the presence of Maia _and_another Lombax? She had to be hallucinating, and in her present state of mind, that wasn't all that hard to believe. Still, it was cruel.

She closed her eyes, trying to find some rest in the dark.

"Miss, you must remain conscious," a voice came from her left and she turned her head to see the face of a small robot looking at her with wide green optic sensors that seemed almost as alive as real eyes. His head was round and metallic and a small antennae was attached to his head with a red flashing light on its tip.

"Clank, have you applied pressure to the wound?" the man asked.

"Yes, Ratchet," the robot replied and Skyla just noticed that something was pressed onto her shoulder, but she could barely feel it as her whole body was gradually going numb with pain. She wasn't sure how long she could stay awake as the need to sleep began to build in her.

The ship seemed to gain speed as they began to leave the planet's atmosphere and soon enough, they were in space. The pilot began tapping away at the controls and Skyla looked out through the front screen.

"Clank, I can't find it," Maia's voice reached her ears, though it sounded a little distant. The robot moved away, though the pressure on her shoulder remained.

"It should be..." the robots voice faded out slightly as Skyla blinked again really slowly. She wanted to just sleep, and maybe then she'd wake up from this crazy hallucination dream. Something tapped her leg and her eyes flicked lazily over to the pilot,

"Stay awake," he told her seriously, making it sound like an order. Skyla sighed heavily and her ribs ached in protestation. When would this dream end? When would it be over?

Through the front screen, she saw that they were on the approach to a large Starship that looked to be made for speed and stealth. It was incredibly long and sleek looking, and was growing bigger with each passing second. Without warning, a voice crackled over the intercom.

"Sarge! The hostages are gone! They just disappeared into thin air!" came a panicky voice of one of the robots.

"He means they teleported, sarge," another voice interjected.

"That's what I said!"

"No you didn't!"

"Guys!" the pilot called over the two robots, "did you see what kind of teleport?"

"Er...atomic, I think," said one of the voices.

"Damn, they could be anywhere," the man muttered, "I'm en route to the Phoenix. Scan the area for particle streams and let me know what you find."

"Roger that, over and out," the radio went dead and the pilot pulled gently on the wheel and they picked up speed.

Out of the blue, Skyla felt a wave of dread wash over her and her senses were suddenly on high alert. Something was wrong. Very wrong. That transmission from the robots...it meant something. She saw the Starship getting nearer and nearer, but her instincts were telling her they shouldn't go any closer. Dream or not, they were in danger. She glanced at the screen in front of the pilot that had two flashing dots. Them, and the Starship. But something was missing. She sat up straighter,

"Stop," she said in as firm a voice as she could. The pilot gave her a funny look,

"Stop? We're in space."

"Then turn around!" the grey Lombax exclaimed, suddenly flooded with a new energy provided by one particular emotion – fear.

"Sky, what's wrong?" Maia leant in between the two seats, peering out through the screen and then at her friend.

"We have to..." Skyla began but stopped as she saw two tiny bits of space pulse before her eyes. Acting on impulse she leaned over the pilot and wrenched the steering wheel towards her. Two laser beams shot past them, just grazing where their left wing had been.

All of a sudden, space seemed to shimmer around them and around 20 ships materialised out of nowhere, completely surrounding them and blocking their path to the Starship. There was more laser fire, heading towards them but the pilot was quick to recover and evaded them with another speedy turn. Skyla collapsed back into her seat, her heart plummeting. She should have known Drako wouldn't be beaten so easily and would have a backup plan.

"Aphelion, evasive manoeuvres," the pilot shouted, his fingers tapping rapidly at the controls, "Phoenix, we're under attack! I need immediate assistance. Do you copy?" There was no reply.

"Phoenix, I need assistance! Do you copy?" the pilot shouted again, swerving to avoid another line of fire.

"They are blocking our transmissions, Ratchet," cried the robot. Skyla fell to the left as the vessel veered to avoid more laser fire.

"Hang on," the pilot yelled and the next moment was spent ducking this way and that, dodging oncoming fire and searching for a way out at the same time.

He directed their vessel towards one of the ships nearest the Starship, weaving to avoid the oncoming fire. He punched a button on his controls and a rocket was launched from their ship, heading straight for the enemy vessel. The ship tried to move out of the missiles way but it was too slow and a bright orange light shone on Skyla as it exploded in a ball of fire. The man made to slip through the gap that had been created; only to find that two other ships had circled round, cutting them off. He turned away, trying to go above them, but they matched his height and speed, moving with him to keep him from breaking their ranks. The laser fire continued, but Skyla noticed it was oddly precise, like they were being careful with every shot.

"Why aren't they shooting to kill?" the pilot muttered, his mind following the same trail of thought as Skyla.

"They want us alive," Skyla murmured as her thoughts reached their conclusion.

"That's ok then," the pilot mumbled, dipping under another shot that would have taken a chunk out of their wing. Skyla's eyes raked the heavens as she took in fighter vessels before her. Most of them were smaller than the ones on the surface, with only one pilot per ship and no passenger room. They were fast, and their pilots were trained to top efficiency. But there was one other ship, bigger than the rest, which looked to be the same make of the ones on the surface, with a bigger passenger load. They'd now gone a full circle around, with no visible way through the seemingly impenetrable ring of ships.

"Fighter vessel 3371-Alpha, surrender yourselves immediately and you will not be harmed," a voice came over the intercom and Skyla's ears twitched in recognition. Anger flared in her heart,

"Go to hell, Drako," she snarled at the reptile.

"Like hell we're surrendering," the man said almost at the same time as her.

"It's hopeless, Skyla," Drako said, "neither you nor your allies can win."

"Watch us!" the pilot retorted, avoiding more fire with an almost careless ease. He was clearly an able pilot. A moment later, his eyes flicked over to Skyla, then he turned in his seat to glance at Maia.

"You might want to strap yourselves in," he said to them both in a low voice. The tone made Skyla's stomach flip with worry, as she knew it from personal experience. That was the tone she used when she was usually about to do something dangerous, daring and borderline ridiculously-stupid (the timings of which varied with her mood), and hearing it in another's voice was...creepy. She immediately reached up with her good hand and pulled the seat straps across her, clipping them into place. She wasn't about to question his tone.

"Ratchet, what are you...?" Maia began to ask.

"Clank, make sure she's secure," the pilot called. Skyla turned slightly, and though her view was restricted she saw the robot pinning Maia to the floor of the vessel with what looked like magnetized straps.

"They are for your own safety," the robot told the Cazar, then turned to the man, "she is secure, Ratchet."

"Good," the pilot nodded, refocusing on flying, "hold on, we're in for a bumpy ride. Aphelion, ready your warp engines. The second we're clear of their ranks, jump."

"Ratchet, I must inform you there is only a 1 in 986.4 chance of us making it through unharmed," the robot said sincerely. The pilot's grip on the wheel tightened, his shoulders hunched slightly and his eyes narrowed, a slight glint to his gaze which filled Skyla with even more dread and deepened her doubts on the reality of this situation,

"I'll take those odds," he muttered. They suddenly barrel rolled right and through the screen Skyla saw they were heading straight for the largest of Baen's ships. As they neared, the surrounding ships closed in on them further, like a fisherman tightening his net around caught fish. But the pilot made no move to change course, heading straight for the vessel. Part of Skyla wanted to scream at him, something along the lines of 'are you _insane_? We're going to _DIE_!' but another part of her was curious as to what he would do so she remained silent.

There was no time to swerve now as collision became all the more imminent. They were going to career straight into the ship. Suddenly, the pilot twisted the wheel and they span right over so they were now upside down. He punched a button, giving their thrusters an extra boost as they were shoved down by the force, keeping their direction as straight as he could. They sailed under the ship, just brushing against its hull with a slight bump. For a moment, Skyla was staring into empty space, her ears hanging down, and then they were out and the pilot righted the ship. They were out in the open. They'd made it. But they were heading away from the Starship, and Eudora, and into open space.

"They are in pursuit," the robot informed them. The pilot glanced at the screen, noting the dots that were rapidly giving chase,

"Aphelion, engage warp drive."

"Engaging." A hum filled the ship like a battery gaining energy and Skyla felt them slow down, then begin accelerate so fast it felt almost unnatural.

There was more gunfire, but then they were lost behind as they exceeded the speed of light, going so fast it felt like they weren't moving at all.

Then the ship shook as it was impacted and an alarm began blaring.

"Warning – warp engines damaged mid-jump. Systems failing," the ship announced. The pilot cursed and wrestled to control the shaking vessel.

"Aphelion, take us out of warp," he yelled over the alarm. Their speed seemed wrong now, as if they were going too fast and too slow at the same time.

"Warp engines damaged mid-jump," the ship repeated mechanically, "systems failing."

"Come out of warp!" the pilot ordered.

"Negative, warp engines offline. Systems failing." All of a sudden, they came abruptly out of warp and face to face with a planet. The pilot began flicking switches like crazy, doing everything he could to correct his ship's course.

"Aphelion, engage grav-o-metric stabilisers."

"Offline."

"Thrusters!"

"Offline. Landing flaps - Offline." The pilot punched at the controls, but the ship remained unresponsive. Skyla watched as the man failed to regain control of his ship and the planet loomed ever closer to them. Soon, they were completely caught in its gravitational pull and began to pick up speed, being drawn like a magnet to its surface.

There was a small whimper of fear from behind Skyla and she turned to see Maia tensed up, her eyes overflowing with terror as she stared at their impending doom.

It was in that moment that Skyla realised she wasn't dreaming, or hallucinating. This was real. Maia and the Lombax were real...and they were all about to die.

Everything around them turned red as they began to enter the planet's upper atmosphere and the ship's alarms were blaring all around her. Skyla thought she heard the pilot shouting, but she couldn't be sure as they broke through the atmosphere and the ground came into view, rushing up to meet them. Then they were falling, and falling, and falling. And then...nothing.


	17. Sing while I bleed

"Skyla?" As the grey Lombax slowly came to; pain, ever the enthusiast, was the first to greet her. She felt her body start to reboot like a computer, as if her systems were gradually coming back online.

"Skyla?" Someone was calling her name. Latching onto the voice she used it to pull herself completely from the depths of unconsciousness and into the world of the living. Her eyes fluttered slightly and then opened, but quickly closed as light glared harshly back at her.

"Sky?" That voice, she knew that voice...she tried to answer but all that came out was a low moan. A shadow moved over her and the light didn't seem as intense so Skyla risked opening her eyes. Everything was blurred, but there was a definite form hanging above her and she blinked as it swam into focus.

"Am I dead?" Skyla mumbled, feeling incredibly faint. The face she knew so well changed from an expression of worry to a relieved, gentle smile.

"No, you're alive, little one," murmured the voice. Skyla blinked again, fully registering the figure in front of her.

"Maia?" she whispered, hardly daring to believe this could be real.

"Yes, it's me, Sky," the Cazar answered. The Lombax simply looked at her friend for a moment, drinking her in. She was real flesh and blood, her soft eyes sparkling as they gazed down at her. Maia was alive. A wave of happy emotions flooded Skyla's heart. Maia was alive! But how was that possible? She'd seen the pod explode, hadn't she? So how...?

"I got the nanotech..." came another voice, but then it stopped. Skyla turned her head slightly towards the new voice, but she could only make out a silhouette as the light blinded her once again. She tried to get up to get a better view but Maia pushed her down gently.

"No, don't move. You're badly injured and have lost a lot of blood," she told her. As if to back up this statement Skyla's shoulder throbbed acutely and nausea swept over her. Her whole body felt battered and bruised and she could feel herself bleeding from many nicks and cuts. Her ribs ached badly and it hurt to breathe deeply so she tried to keep her breathing shallow. It was then she noticed that there was a strange scent in the air that she couldn't place, but it smelled a little acidic, like a gas of some sort.

The silhouetted figure knelt by her, next to Maia, and Skyla got a clear view of them.

It looked young, but older than her, probably mid-twenties by the looks of things, and male. He had sandy gold fur with dark caramel stripes on his arms and on his ears that were long and pointed, angled backward against the skull. He wore the clothing of a mechanic and looked as if he was someone who was out and about a lot. He had sturdy looking combat boots, blue trousers and a peach top made of a tough looking material with some sort of harness strapped over them. He had no visible hair as his head was covered by a piloting cap which hung around his face unclipped. His hands were covered by long, dark brown work gloves but he had 5 clear digits. His nose was brown and slightly T-shaped, and he had a slightly wide face with a mouth that looked like it was used to smiling. And his eyes...they were the most magnificent shade of green, alive with life and overhung by two dark eyebrows that seemed to frame his features perfectly.

All of this, Skyla took in within a second, but it took her a moment longer for her mind to reach the blindingly obvious conclusion.

He was a Lombax. A real, live, male member of her own 'extinct' species.

Skyla blinked.

The Lombax blinked.

Skyla glanced at Maia and then back at the Lombax. She frowned ever so slightly in confusion,

"I...don't understand," she told her Cazar friend in a small voice that made her seem like a child. Maia shifted,

"Skyla, this is Ratchet...he's a Lombax," she said simply and slowly. The sandy Lombax smiled,

"Hey," he said somewhat awkwardly. Skyla stared at him. Her mind had gone numb at Maia's statement, even if she'd already some to that conclusion.

"But how...?" she began but a sudden bolt of pain shot through her chest and she gasped lightly.

"Ratchet, she is still losing blood. You must administer the nanotech immediately." This new voice came from her right and she looked over to see the small robot standing next to her, his metallic form glinting in the sunlight.

"Oh, yeah," the sandy Lombax held up a water pouch that glowed a light neon blue colour. He removed the lid and held it out to her. Skyla glanced at Maia who gave her a small nod of encouragement, so she let the Lombax put the spout to her lips and she felt his other hand slip under her head, supporting it. She began to drink.

The liquid tasted strange, with an almost metal taint as well as a small buzz as it slid down her throat. It felt like drinking live plasma. She gulped down several mouthfuls more.

Without warning, there was a sudden boiling pain that seared her from the inside. It felt like her stomach had been filled with an acid that was eating away at her insides. She choked on her mouthful and the sandy Lombax quickly withdrew as she spat it out. But the searing pain remained and she struggled not to scream, her body curling up and jerking in the throes of agony. It was like wild animals were clawing apart her innards and she felt herself become slightly delirious with pain. Rolling away from Maia she threw up onto the ground, the small robot jumping away just in time to avoid the stream of nanotech that poured from her mouth. But it came out a different colour, as where it had been neon blue it was now a dull grey.

"What's wrong?" she heard Maia cry over the sound of her retching.

"I don't know, it's not supposed to do that!" the sandy Lombax exclaimed, his voice filled with shocked concern. Skyla continued to heave until her stomach was completely empty and the searing pain had died down considerably. She gulped in oxygen and collapsed onto her back, gritting her teeth as the impact jarred her body.

"Sky, are you alright?" Maia asked, her eyes wide with worry.

"Never better," Skyla croaked with a weak smile. Her head was swimming once again and the figures above her swam in and out of focus.

"Clank, why isn't the nanotech working?" the other Lombax asked the robot. There was a brief pause, then,

"She has a chip in her arm that is preventing the nanotech from healing by expelling a chemical which dissolves the outer shell of the nanites, ridding them of their medicinal capabilities. It is also a long range homing device, though a little crude it would be traceable across a galaxy."

"Why would she have something like that in her arm?" the Lombax asked with an inquisitive frown.

"The Collector," Maia said in a low voice and had Skyla been able to, she would have nodded in agreement. She should have guessed Ban would implant her with such a device...no wonder they'd found her so easily on Eudora. But at the moment, she was too tired to be angry and wanted to sleep. She closed her eyes.

"No, Sky, eyes open," Maia's voice interrupted her and she blinked slowly, dutifully opening her eyes.

"Then how are we supposed to heal her? We don't have any other medicine except bandages, but they won't help her internal injuries," the Lombax wondered aloud.

"There is nothing we can do while that device is in her arm," the robot explained.

"Then we have to get it out," the Lombax announced stubbornly.

"I do not think that is possible."

"What?" Maia and the Lombax cried at the same time. Skyla frowned, what did the robot mean?

"It has been in her arm for a long time. So long, in fact, that it has become embedded in her muscle. If you remove it without proper surgical equipment, then she may lose the use of her arm and die from blood loss if the chemical does not leave her system in time for the nanotech to work. I am sorry, Ratchet," the robot added, and he sounded so genuine that Skyla believed he meant it.

"There has to be another way," the Lombax muttered, "she'll die if we don't get some nanotech in her soon." Skyla wanted to tell them she wasn't going to die, but part of her...didn't quite believe that. She knew she'd suffered worse than a stab wound before, but combined with a broken wrist, badly bruised ribs and an altogether battered body...even she could only stand so much. Death might not be imminent, but it wasn't far off if she didn't get some form of medication in her. Her eyes flicked to the sky above them. They'd crashed, definitely, but where?

"Perhaps the Swamp Jaggas could help?" offered the robot.

"We'd never find them in time...and they don't take kindly to outsiders," the sandy Lombax replied bitterly. Skyla made to close her eyes again, the need to sleep settling over her like a blanket. All this talk was making her sleepy, and rest seemed an effective way of avoiding the pain that plagued her...

"Sky!" Maia's voice made her jump and her eyes shot open in alarm. The Cazar hung over her again,

"Don't close your eyes, Sky...you might not open them again," she finished in a small voice. The grey Lombax looked at her friend and saw the fear in her eyes. Maia was right, if she fell asleep now...she might not wake up. Forcing herself to full consciousness, she glanced at the other Lombax.

"Take it out," she said to him. His eyes widened,

"What? No! You'll die!"

"But I might not. If you don't I'll probably die anyway. You have to do it, it's the only way," she murmured. Her words sounded strangely surreal, and she realised that her mind, like her body, was somewhat numb. The idea of dying didn't seem to be such a big deal, now...even considering the events that had just happened, when she should care about living that much more now there was Maia and another Lombax. But she didn't even have the energy to care, and was secretly ashamed. The man looked at her, brow knotted in confusion,

"Clank?" he said, glancing up at the robot.

"If you take the device out, the chemical should purge itself from her system naturally within a few minutes allowing you to administer the nanotech safely," the robot told him, then he looked down at Skyla and spoke to her, "but there is every possibility you could bleed to death before the nanotech can act on your body, a 1 in 3475.1 chance exactly." Skyla studied his expression which was incredibly animated for a robot, and saw the sincerity in his eyes. But at the same time...she didn't want to die. Maia was alive, and what kind of friend would Skyla be if she let herself die just when they'd been reunited...? And when she'd just met another Lombax, too. She didn't even know anything about him! Maybe he wasn't the only one, maybe there were more...? But she'd never find out if she died. She had to care. She had to live. The device had to come out.

"I'll take my chances," she mumbled.

"Skyla, no..." Maia said and the grey Lombax's eyes flicked over to her.

"I won't die, Maia...I promise," she said as brightly as she could. The Cazar's mouth twitched,

"It's too dangerous, Sky," she whispered.

"I've faced worse," the grey Lombax grimaced slightly, then focused on the man, forcing energy into her body, "right...how are we going to do this?"

"You want me to do it?" he asked a little apprehensively.

"I'm not going to ask Maia to do it, she's seen enough of my blood spilt over the years. Your robot friend, his hands look a little too big. And you're...pretty handy with a wrench," she said, remembering the expertise with which he'd dealt with the guards. His mouth curved into a disbelieving smile,

"Yes, but that's a wrench...not an operation tool."

"I'm sure you can adapt," Skyla muttered drily.

"And you seriously want to do this? You could die," he told her seriously.

"Am I getting any stronger?" the grey Lombax mumbled in reply. The other Lombax studied her for a minute before nodded,

"I don't like it, but ok...let's do this." He got up and moved away, and sounds of metal scraping against metal reached Skyla's ears. She frowned and glanced at Maia,

"Where are we?" she asked, but her words came out strangely slurred. Talking had taken its toll and now she felt even more drained and her ribs were groaning as if under some great weight.

"Ssh, don't talk, you need to save your energy," her friend shushed her, "I don't know where we are, we crashed onto a strange planet and the ships lying not far from here. We were lucky, it seems the ground here is pretty soft and none of us were badly injured...except you. I haven't been awake long, but Ratchet's already started repairs. He and Clank know this place, I think." So they'd crashed, as she'd suspected. Skyla wondered, with dry amusement, if she'd ever land normally on another planet rather than smashing onto its surface.

A moment later, the man returned holding a handful of tools, some bandages, and another pouch of nanotech. Skyla blinked sleepily up at him, was it her imagination or did the light seem dimmer? He hesitated,

"I don't know if we should..." he began, but Skyla forced herself awake once again.

"No, no, I'm fine," she claimed, though even she knew how badly she was lying. She wasn't fine, she was dying. The sandy Lombax glanced at the robot,

"Where is it, Clank?" the robot's eyes ran over Skyla's arm before locking onto a section of her right arm.

"Here," he said, just touching a spot around three quarters up her arm, "it is 20 millimetres in length and width exactly." The sandy Lombax moved around and took up a position kneeling by her shoulder. Maia shuffled up so she sat above Skyla, gently lifting the grey Lombaxes head onto her lap. The Cazar smiled down at the Lombax who smiled back somewhat dizzily. They used to do this, back at the facility when they had some free time. They'd sit in the hydroponics chamber, Skyla's head on Maia's lap, and the Cazar would sing for her friend. Those times were some of the happiest in Skyla's life, when she could just stop and listen to Maia's beautiful voice. Those were the days.

The sandy Lombax selected a small sharp knife frequently used in carving soft metal. It looked clean enough. He got the robot to point out the spot again and set the tip of the point against it. He hesitated again, eyes flicking to Skyla. She nodded once at him as her ribs ached once again. It was getting more and more difficult to breathe as her lungs struggled to obtain the necessary amount of oxygen. As if having second thoughts the man drew back and took off his glove with his teeth, keeping the knife in place. He offered it to her,

"You might want to bite on this...this will get painful." Skyla gratefully bit down on the leathery material. At least now her tongue would be safe. The Lombax hesitated once again, before he began to gently insert knife into her arm. Tears stung Skyla's eyes as blood welled up and she looked up at Maia somewhat desperately,

"Sing to me," she pleaded, though her voice was muffled by the glove. But Maia understood. Opening her mouth, she began to sing.

"_Home is behind, the world ahead"._ Skyla smiled in spite of herself and felt herself calm at the sound. That was her favourite song of Maia's, and the pain in her arm seemed to lessen as the sound became her anaesthetic.

"_And there are many paths to tred"._ The knife nicked muscle and her arm spazzed in reflex, she gulped back a whimper of pain and continued to listen.

"_Through shadow, to the edge of night_."

"Clank, how deep is it?"

"23 millimetres beneath her skin". The Lombax cursed,

"I'm not a doctor!" he said with an edge of panic in his voice.

"You are a mechanic, Ratchet. In a way, you are a doctor for robots and vessels. Think of this as removing a jammed bolt from Aphelion's engine," the robot said soothingly.

"Right, thanks," the Lombax replied with a tiny hint of sarcasm, but he focused better after that.

"_Until the stars are all alight."_The blade bit deeper into her muscle and a small noise of pain escaped Skyla as she felt the blood begin to flow in earnest.

"_Mist and shadow."_ Skyla nearly screamed as she felt the metal connect with a vein and pain exploded in her arm. She gulped heavily, blinking back tears, focusing on Maia's face and the Cazar's fingers stroking her hair.

"_Cloud and shade."_

"I've found it!" exclaimed the Lombax. With his free hand he scooped up a pair of tweezers that he'd last used on Aphelion's warp coil (and since cleaned). He inserted them into the gap he'd made in Skyla's flesh and winced at the blood that was running freely down her arm at an alarmingly fast paced. But he could just about see the glint of something metal amongst the red. He had to wriggle the tweezers a bit, working as fast as he could. He found a grip on the chip and began to pull. A cry of pain escaped Skyla through the glove and he realised that Clank was right when he said it was embedded right into her muscle. He would have to cut it out.

"_All shall fade."_ Thanking the stars for his nimble fingers and years of steady practise tinkering with gizmos, Ratchet began moving the blade around the chip, separating it from the muscle.

Sweat beaded Skyla's brow and he knew his own forehead was damp with perspiration. Finally, the chip was free and he grasped it once again. He levered it out gently until eventually, it was out. He wanted to let out a sigh, but it wasn't over yet. He grabbed the pouch of nanotech but Clank stopped him.

"No, not yet, the chemical is still in her system," he told him. Ratchet looked desperately at the grey Lombax. Blood dripped down her arm in a constant stream and he placed a clump of bandages over the gaping wound in an effort to slow the flow. But the white material was quickly soaked in blood and the red life giving liquid ran from her as steady as ever, trickling through his fingers.

"_All shall..._" Seconds ticked by but they felt like hours. With every breath he could see the girl growing weaker and weaker as her body slowly began to shut down, finally collapsing under the weight of the hardships it'd been put through.

Eventually, he could stand it no longer and ripped the glove from her mouth, jamming the pouch tip between her lips as gently as he could, praying that he wasn't too late, or too early.

Skyla began to gulp almost instinctively, ingesting as much of the nanotech as she could, a sense of desperation giving her the energy to swallow. But all around her was darkening, the faces of Maia and the sandy Lombax swiftly dimming into silhouetted blurs. She wasn't going to make it.

This was it.

"..._fade."_


	18. The Between

_Skyla was dreaming. At least, she thought she was. The real world was never this white and pure and...quiet. She blinked and looked around her. Where was she, and how had she gotten here? She was surrounded by white emptiness, and felt like she was in some great open space with no walls around her. She turned on the spot, looking for anything distinguishable from the white. Then she saw something, silhouetted above her. As she watched it seemed to spread and the outline of a building became visible. It continued to spread and then there were two buildings, then three and suddenly a whole city seemed to have sprung up around her. She could see buildings of all shapes and sizes, trees and other plants, and what looked like large rock formations. She recognised none of it, yet the sight of it all rang a distant bell in her mind, as if this was somewhere she had once known, but had encountered so long ago that all that remained was the barest wisp of memory._

_Her eyes trailed over the buildings, taken them in one by one. They were made with skill, clearly, and the vegetation appeared real enough. Yet there was no sign of sentient life to be seen anywhere and everything was still, as if the whole area was asleep. Even the plants seemed to be frozen in a state of suspended animation with no breeze to give them any form of life. It was like time had halted in this place, where nothing aged, nothing died, and nothing lived. A city of white, and silence._

_It felt ethereal._

_Suddenly, there was movement from the corner of Skyla's eye and her body turned, ears shooting upright and her senses coming on the alert. She thought she saw a shadow move over one of the buildings, but she couldn't be sure._

"_Hello?" she called, but there was no answer and her voice seemed to echo about the place, rebounding back at her in an almost mocking tone._

_There was more movement, but she couldn't pinpoint it. She took a step forward, towards where she'd thought she'd seen the shadow. The ground felt odd beneath her feet, as if it wasn't quite firm enough to hold her and could give way at any moment. In fact, everything around her felt out of place, as if nothing was solid, nothing was real...as if all around her was simply part of a dream..._

"_Hello?" she called again, taking another step forward, followed by another._

"_Stop," came a voice and she came to an abrupt halt._

"_Who's there? Show yourself!" Skyla demanded, fists clenched and rising automatically. A figure materialised before her, stepping out of the white like a ghost. She couldn't make out much of them, yet their form seemed to resemble that of a Lombax...but she wasn't certain. Squinting didn't help, and no matter how hard she tried, the figure would not come into focus._

"_Who are you?" Skyla asked, her curiosity getting the better of her._

"_A Spirit," the figure replied in a voice that sounded neither male nor female._

"_Where am I?"_

"_You are in The Between."_

"_The Between?"_

"_Yes, The Between. It is that which lies between life and death," answered the figure. Skyla's eyes widened in shock,_

"_I'm dead?" she blurted._

"_No, but neither are you alive," the Spirit answered. Skyla frowned and put a hand to her chest. There was no movement under her palm, no heart beat. Placing her fingers to her wrist, she felt for a pulse...and found none. But oddly enough, she didn't panic. After all, she was still conscious...somewhat. Instead, she swallowed,_

"_How did I get here?"_

"_You are not here, that is, you are not here physically." Skyla's brow knotted in confusion at the figures reply and she looked down at her hands, clenching them experimentally. They felt real enough, what did they mean?_

"_I don't understand," she murmured, glancing up at the figure, "what do you mean?"_

"_What you are now, who you are now, is your soul. Your real body lies back in the world of the living, but it is in no state to harbour your soul...thus you have come to be here, in The Between," the figure explained. Skyla blinked,_

"_I...still don't understand," she confessed eventually, feeling like she was missing something very important._

"_Do not worry, it is always challenging for souls when they first encounter The Between," the Spirit informed her in something of a comforting tone._

"_So, this is my...soul?" the grey Lombax asked with a small frown._

"_Yes."_

"_Why don't I have a pulse?"_

"_There is no life in The Between, and neither is there death, thus you have not the bodily functions you are accustomed to. A soul in the between has no need of a heartbeat or breathing, it does not need them to survive here." Skyla instinctively tried to take a breath at their words, but found that her lungs did not expand or contract in any way. She looked once again at her hands. They felt so real, yet..._

"_I'm confused," she told the figure honestly, feeling no threat from them at the present._

"_That is to be expected, but do not worry, you will get used to it soon enough," the figure assured her. Their words stirred a thought in Skyla's mind and she asked,_

"_How long will I be here?"_

"_That all depends on where your soul decides to rest. Your soul stands at the crossroads where life lies one way and death another. Where it decides to go is yet to be known."_

"_So...I'm dying?" Skyla asked._

'_In the real world, yes." Skyla swallowed again but felt noticed that nothing moved in her throat, as if her body was simulating the movement rather than performing it. She looked around her again, taking in the buildings and plants. They looked so familiar..._

"_What is this place?" she posed, glancing from building to building._

"_This is the capital of Fastoon, the Lombax homeworld...before it was brought to ruin," the Spirit told her. The grey Lombax's eyebrows rose in surprise,_

"_The Lombax homeworld?"_

"_Yes...you do not know it?" the figure enquired, sounding a little surprised._

"_I...I don't know," Skyla admitted._

"_Interesting..." the Spirit sounded intrigued and Skyla became curious at their tone._

"_Interesting?" she echoed, turning it into a question._

"_Yes. You see, when a soul comes to be in The Between, the environment it is surrounded by is usually the place the Soul would call home, the place where they feel most comfortable and at ease," explained the figure._

"_Home? I've never been here before in my life!" Skyla exclaimed._

"_Are you sure about that?" the figure asked. Skyla hesitated,_

"_No," she said eventually._

"_Then it is possible you were born on Fastoon, and although you may not remember your birth...your soul does. Your soul knows all," the figure told her ominously. Skyla studied the figure before her, still unsure of their identity,_

"_Who are you?" she wondered aloud._

"_I am a Spirit."_

"_What's a Spirit?"_

"_A soul in its purest form."_

"_Are you a Lombax?"_

"_No..." the Spirit took too long to reply and Skyla sensed there was something that was not being said, but then the figure went on, "but to you I would appear a Lombax."_

"_Why's that?"_

"_It is more comforting for souls to have one who resembles their own kind with them in The Between," the Spirit answered somewhat vaguely. Skyla continued to scrutinise the evasive Spirit, she still had not clue as to their gender, age, anything like that. But the more she looked at them, the more she became convinced that they really were a Lombax._

"_What's your name?" she asked, beginning to probe for information, hoping to draw some solid conclusions._

"_I have no name in this place," came the reply._

"_But you said you're a soul...souls have names, don't they?"_

"_They do indeed."_

"_Then what is...or what was your name?" Skyla rephrased._

"_You do not need to know that."_

"_But I want to know. Who were you?" the grey Lombax pressed the Spirit. There was another pause,_

"_No-one of any importance," the figure murmured in reply._

"_Were you a Lombax?"_

"_You are very curious," the Spirit said in an amused voice but mixed with an element of...something Skyla couldn't place._

"_I'm a Lombax," Skyla said as a way of explanation. The figure chuckled lightly at this,_

"_Yes, you are," they muttered softly and another silence descended over them._

"_What are you doing here?" Skyla asked eventually._

"_I am the guardian Spirit of The Between, it is my job to ensure souls are kept here safely and that the journey between life and death is smooth," they told her, as if reciting a job description._

"_Ah, I see...what's that like?"_

"_It is a...necessary job," the Spirit told her carefully and Skyla frowned ever so slightly. It might just be her imagination, but the figure sounded almost...sad, and disappointed. She thought about asking more about the figure, but decided against it. She knew that when it came to sadness, you should never press anyone for details, they told you when they were ready and not a moment before; you simply needed time and patience. Thankfully, at that moment a thought came to her that captured her attention entirely,_

"_Have...have there been others? Other Lombaxes, I mean?" she asked and she knew that, had her heart been beating, it would be beating very fast._

"_Every soul passes through here when travelling from life to death, so yes, there have been Lombax souls, like yourself."_

"_What were they like?" the grey Lombax asked eagerly. There was a moment of hesitation before the Spirit replied,_

"_I do not know."_

"_How come?" Skyla said with a frown._

"_I...have not been here long," the Spirit said slowly._

"_So, you've never met another Lombax...soul?"_

"_No, I am sorry," came the soft reply. There was something in the Spirit's voice that gave Skyla the feeling that some things were not being said aloud. It was like the Spirit was hiding something...but what? Then again, even souls were entitled to keep secrets._

"_What's it like on the other side?" she asked gently, changing the subject while trying to find out more about the Spirit though a...less direct route._

"_I would not know...I have never been," the Spirit replied somewhat wistfully._

"_What do you think it is like?"_

"_I...I hope that it is a paradise beyond imagination, where the lost are found, friends reunited and there is no war," the Spirit said in a dreamy voice. Skyla nodded in agreement; that sounded like a place worth waiting for._

"_Then why are you still here?" she enquired delicately._

"_Someone must care for the souls," the Spirit replied evasively._

"_Yes, but why you?"_

"_I volunteered."_

"_Why?"_

"_Questions, questions, you ask all these questions!" the Spirit suddenly snapped and Skyla's eyebrows rose in surprise at the hurt evident in their voice. The figure seemed to sigh heavily, "I am sorry, but there are some things I cannot answer...not just yet." Skyla opened her mouth to herself apologise for her intrusive questions, but before she could speak there was a tugging sensation in her chest and she felt herself begin to stretch like a rubber band, yet she felt no pressure on her limbs. It was as if she was being pulled someplace...and was remaining stationary._

"_It is time. Your soul has chosen a side," the Spirit murmured._

"_Where am I going?" Skyla asked, momentarily panicking, what if she was dying? Then again, would that be such a bad thing? She would see her parents again...and everyone else she had once known._

"_Your soul is returning to the world of the living, your body will survive. You will return here, one day, but I do not know when," the Spirit informed her quietly._

"_Will I remember this place?"_

"_No," came the reply with a hint of sadness._

"_Then please, tell me your name," Skyla asked, feeling herself begin to fade, the world around her dissolving into a white blur._

"_There is no time," the Spirit's voice began to dim and Skyla nearly didn't catch their last words, spoken softly as her soul took flight, "until we meet again, Skyla."_

_Then she was falling._


	19. Shelter from the storm

Skyla sucked in a breath as she crashed back into consciousness.

"Sky? Skyla!" a voice was frantically calling her name and she began coughing heavily, unable to respond. A weight lifted off her chest and she gulped down air, filling her lungs with life giving oxygen.

"Don't do that! You scared me," it was Maia's voice and Skyla had to make sure she was breathing properly before she assessed her body's state. The pain in her arm was gone leaving behind a numb feeling, and the rest of her felt similar, but healed. It was a different feeling to when Heryn had healed her with natural remedies, as if her body had been mended for her rather than encouraged to mend itself. Her eyes were functioning well after several blinks and she looked up to see Maia's face gazing down at her, hazel eyes wide with worry. The Cazar's expression softened when she saw Skyla was fully conscious and breathing properly.

"How are you feeling?" the Cazar asked gently.

"Sore...and numb," Skyla croaked in reply. Maia nodded sympathetically,

"You will be for a while." Skyla tried to move her limbs and all of them responded...except one. Her eyes widened and she tried harder but her right arm still refused to respond, she couldn't even feel it.

"I can't feel my arm," she told Maia, an edge of panic to her voice.

"The muscle was badly damaged when the chip was removed and many of your motor neurones were destroyed," came another voice and Skyla looked over to see the robot, Clank, beside her.

"Will I...can I...could I...?" the grey Lombax stumbled slightly over her words, wondering how she would be able to function properly with only one working arm.

"It is possible for you to regain the use of your arm in time," the robot informed her. Ah well, at least that was better than never working again. Skyla sighed heavily and, using her one operational arm, began levering herself upright.

"Take it easy, Sky," Maia cautioned her, helping her friend lean against something solid behind her. The grey Lombax looked around them.

They were in a cave, medium in size but big enough to hold them all in relative comfort. To her left the cave delved further into black, but to her right she saw the entrance, a jagged hole large enough for a small vessel to pass through if it was careful. A storm of some sort was going on outside and what looked like muddy brown rain was falling heavily, filling the air with a smell that had a tangy, almost bile-like scent. A small fire was going not far from where Skyla sat, the flames lighting up the cavern with an orange glow that cast shadows here and there. There was no telling what time of day it was.

"Where are we?" Skyla asked, addressing the robot.

"Planet Sarathos in the Shadow Sector of the Solana Galaxy," he told her.

"Sarathos?" Skyla repeated with a small shudder, remembering the incident with the viper venom.

"Yes," Clank confirmed.

"When will we be rescued?" Maia asked.

"I do not know," Clank admitted, "this sector is largely avoided by the government as it has many dangers. But the Galactic Rangers will be trying to find us as we speak. I am sure of it."

"Do we have supplies?" the Cazar enquired.

"We have some emergency rations - yes. But it is not much...enough to last you 3 days at the most. Ratchet is not very good at planning ahead when it comes to his own wellbeing," the robot said with something of an exasperated tone. It was then Skyla noticed something, the absence of said...guy.

"Where's the...the...the...h-he...him?" Skyla stopped and started as she spoke, finding she could not quite get her words out properly. Thankfully, they understood what she was getting at.

"Ratchet is out working on his ship, he said he will be back soon," Maia explained and Skyla nodded absently but made no reply. The Cazar turned to the robot,

"Have you and Ratchet been here before, then?"

"Yes, several years ago. It was not a pleasant experience, especially for Ratchet," Clank answered, frowning slightly as he remembered the Dreadzone and all that it had put his friend through, "he nearly died multiple times," he added. His words jolted a thought process in Skyla and her brow furrowed. She looked up at Maia,

"You're alive," she said simply. The Cazar gave her a gentle smile,

"Yes, I am." There was a pause and Skyla blinked once, then twice,

"How?" she croaked softly, "I saw the pod explode...I saw you...I...I thought you were d-dead," she finished, tears pricking her eyes as she remembered her grief. Maia shifted over and drew her friend into a tight hug. Skyla blinked furiously but eventually screwed her eyes shut against the onslaught of emotions that washed over her.

"I'm alive, little one...I'm alive," the Cazar whispered to the Lombax, stroking her hair as her friend choked quietly on her suppressed tears. When Skyla had composed herself a little better, she drew back and looked at Maia, taking her in. Maia was alive, her best friend, her rock, her sister...was alive. The light at the end of the tunnel had brightened just that much more. With Maia alive...Skyla knew things would be going their way from now on. The grey Lombax smiled through her tears,

"I'm so..." she began, but couldn't find a word to describe her emotions. Happy didn't even begin to cover what she was feeling. Maia smiled gently and tenderly tucked a stray hair behind the Lombaxes ear,

"I know, little one, so am I." Skyla caught the Cazar's hand, feeling its warmth, the blood that ran through her veins. The Lombax found herself smiling widely and tears of pure happiness began to run down her face. Pulling the Cazar to her, the friends embraced once again, sharing in the relief, the joy of finding each other. Together once again, the way they should be.

After a while, they drew apart and Skyla took a deep breath to get ahold of herself, wiping away her tears. She was fine with Maia seeing her cry, but didn't know what the robot would make of her tears. Thankfully, he had moved away to the other side of the cave, obviously sensing that the friends needed a private moment. Skyla was glad the other...Lombax wasn't here to see her in this state, she did not want to give him the impression she was a weak, emotional wreck...even if she was at the moment. Swallowing several times to get rid of the lump in her throat, Skyla looked up at Maia,

"How?" was all she asked. The Cazar took a moment to settle down beside her friend, her expression turning thoughtful as she recounted the events after their separation.

"I remember little of what happened after the pod was ejected into space, only that you weren't there with me. My pod must have gone unnoticed...I think it moved away too fast or something, but I wasn't caught by any of The Collector's men." Skyla frowned,

"But I saw a pod explode...I-I thought it was you." Maia's eyes narrowed in consideration,

"Yes...I remember seeing something similar...I thought it was you at first, but my gut told me it wasn't. Still...there was some sort of explosion near the ship, wasn't there? Wait...weren't there three pods?" Skyla's eyes widened as she remembered,

"Yes, there were! So...who was in the last one?" Maia shrugged,

"I guess we'll never know...I hope it wasn't that Novalian." There was a moment as the friends simultaneously came to the conclusion that it probably had been the Novalian in the last pod and thus met that...horrific death.

"The next thing I remember, I'm being arrested by the authorities," the Cazar went on casually. Skyla did a double take,

"I'm sorry, what? Arrested?!" Maia gave her a wry smile,

"I know. Apparently, they recognised my pod's signature as coming from Jaynwae's ship, so assumed I was a smuggler from her crew. Didn't take them long to figure out I wasn't a smuggler and I told them my story. They didn't believe me at first, but then I mentioned you and they became more interested. I had to retell my story under a lie detector so they knew I was being honest...then they called in Ratchet and Clank," Maia paused, as if searching for the right words, but then continued as normal, "I had to tell them my story all over again, but they agreed to help. I was convinced you were alive so we started searching for you on nearby planets, but with little success. Some were just too populated and others we couldn't scan properly for whatever reason. It didn't help that no-one had seen the cargo ship or The Collector's ships and we couldn't find any trace of the encounter. We were just preparing to do a deep surface scan on all the surrounding planets individually, which would have taken days to complete, when we received your transmission. Ratchet was incredible. He pulled together a small troop of Rangers and was on Eudora in record time...and you know the rest." There was a moment of silence after Maia finished her tale as Skyla took it all in. In any other circumstances, the grey Lombax might have doubted her friends words for the extraordinary miracle they had described, but the sincerity of them and all that had happened to Skyla recently confirmed they must be true. Someone up there was definitely watching out for her, watching out for them both.

The sound of running feet reached her ears and she glanced up to see a recognisable figure entering the cave. He shook his head violently, sending muddy water droplets flying everywhere and Skyla realised his fur was smoking ever so slightly, and there was a distinct smell of acid on him.

"I hate this planet," he grumbled, "damn acid rain..." He scooped up a pouch of nanotech from by the fire and squirted some onto his hands.

"How is Aphelion, Ratchet?" Clank asked.

"She'll be alright. Thankfully the ground here's soft and we didn't fall too vertically. Her main engine wasn't badly damaged and her core is reasonably intact. Her warp engines and weapons will take longer, but we shouldn't need them any time soon if I get her Xulian Thrusters back online. Her nose is slightly crumpled and her right top wing had a chunk torn out of it, but I found it at the crash site and welded it back on. Obviously, there's only so much I can do at the moment, but I've done what I can and set a shield over her to stop the rain burning her shell," the sandy Lombax explained as he began rubbing the nanotech all over his bare fur. The smoking died down almost immediately and he let out a sigh of relief,

"That's better," he muttered. He set down the pouch and came over to them,

"How are you feeling?" he asked Skyla.

"Better, thank you," the grey Lombax replied with a small frown. She wasn't entirely sure what to make of him now that she had a chance to take him in properly. The Lombaxes were extinct. Yet here he was. The sandy Lombax noticed her frown,

"That's good," he replied a little hesitantly. Skyla realised she was staring and looked away.

"I still don't understand," she told Maia, "how...how...how?" she asked, glancing from the other Lombax to her Cazar friend and back again.

"It's probably best if Ratchet explains," Maia said, then got up, "Clank, shall we go for a walk? Explore the cave a little." She looked expectantly at the robot who for all the animation in his face, looked puzzled,

"But it is just rock, there is nothing to explore," he said.

"Then I'll rephrase. Will you come for a walk with me?" Maia asked with an encouraging smile and a subtle glance at the two Lombaxes. Clank finally caught on and nodded,

"Of course." The Cazar and the robot moved off, Clank handing Maia a torch he removed from his torso. Skyla watched them go until they were out of sight. She glanced at the sandy Lombax and his eyes met hers. Instantly, she could tell they were thinking the same thing – _they did that deliberately._

Skyla broke the contact and looked down, suddenly feeling incredibly self conscious, a feeling that was almost alien to her. She'd never met another Lombax, never thought she would, but now that she had...she didn't know what to say, what to do. A silence stretched between them and she refused to meet his eyes again, even though she could feel his gaze on her. Inwardly, her mind was in turmoil._What do I do?_ she thought. _What can I say? Say something! But what? Anything!_ Her mind yelled at her.

"You have a tail", she blurted, saying the first thing that came to mind as she caught sight of the snake like object lying beside him. It was the same colour as his fur with caramel stripes and a huge tuft on the end. The sandy Lombax looked at her,

"Yes, I do," he confirmed with a slightly bemused expression. Skyla felt her cheeks go red and she flushed (another thing she rarely did).

"Lucky," she mumbled to the floor. She felt his eyes studying her closely and her feelings of self consciousness rose. Part of her was angry at herself for getting flustered so easily, she never got flustered! She was above flustering. And yet, here she was, flustered and feeling incredibly self conscious next to some who was possibly the last person in the galaxy she wanted to see her as weak and unable to control their own emotions. _Pull yourself together_, she snapped at herself and forced herself to look up and meet his gaze. But as soon as she did, she regretted it. The way he was looking at her, with an undeniably curious expression, it was as if he wasn't quite sure what to make of her. Skyla swallowed, she could honestly say she hadn't ever pictured herself in circumstances like this, sitting in a cave on a swampy planet...with another Lombax. What was she supposed to do in a situation like this? What was anyone supposed to do?

"Where are you from?" he asked eventually.

"I...I don't know," Skyla replied truthfully, grateful that he'd broken the silence and interrupted her destructive train of thought. If he was willing to lead, then she was willing to follow...just this once. Feeling the need to elaborate more she went on, "my earliest memories are on Hoven, but before that, where I was born...I don't know." The other Lombax nodded,

"I don't know where I was born either, but I grew up on Veldin," he told her.

"Veldin? What's that like?" Skyla asked, her curiosity of other planets temporarily overriding her awkward feelings.

"It's not much. Pretty bleak, barren, rocky...hostile. But it's home," the sandy Lombax replied with a small shrug.

"Home," Skyla echoed. The very word tasted sweet on her tongue, as freedom did too. Home...the facility was not a place she would have called home until Xavier had mentioned about home being where you were loved. The facility was only a 'home' while those she loved lived there, but not for long. She could see herself with a proper home now, not at the facility, but in some remote part of the galaxy, away from all civilization, with Maia and possibly Xavier and Cornelius. Home...where she would be surrounded by those who loved her, her family. Her eyes widened, family!

"Did you...do you have..." she tripped over her words, a strange excitement building in her. The other Lombax looked at her expectantly and her mouth opened and closed several times before she finally got out, "family?" she said quietly, her voice shaking slightly with emotion. How could she not have thought this before? If he was here, if he existed, then maybe there were others! Other Lombaxes, living somewhere, somehow...

"No," came his short reply, "I grew up alone."

"Oh," Skyla tried to hide her disappointment but quickly gave up. For a moment, she'd thought she'd seen a light at the end of the tunnel, a bright shining light...but it was nothing. Her ears drooped ever so slightly, "I thought...that...that..." she trailed off, unable to finish.

"There would be more?" he offered. There was a short pause, then she nodded. He shook his head sadly,

"No, I'm sorry. It's just me." The sorrow and grief in his voice made Skyla look up and into his eyes once again. As she stared into his bright green orbs she saw past them and into his mind. Here was another creature who had believed themselves to be the last of their kind, who was all too aware of their solitude in the universe. Her heart when out to him - she knew exactly how he felt.

"Not anymore," she murmured, more to herself than him, but he heard.

"I guess so," he smiled at her and after a moment, she returned it, if a little hesitantly. There was another moment of quiet.

"How...how did it happen?" she asked slowly.

"How did what happen?" he asked softly, though it sounded like he knew what she was referring to.

"The Lombaxes," she clarified with a small wince. Did she really want to know what had happened to them? Did she really want to know the truth? Did he even know the truth? Something told her he did.

Ratchet sighed heavily and sat upright, legs crossed as he remembered. The grey Lombax, Skyla, looked at him, her blue eyes wide and full of unspoken emotion. Her expression was expectant and curious, but at the same time, there was a hesitance behind her gaze that told him she was pretty much ignorant and inwardly wondering how much she wanted to know. He could see the loss in her eyes and knew she was well aware of the lack of Lombaxes in the universe, but maybe not as well acquainted with how and why. She would find out soon enough...and he was the best person to tell her. Now was as good a time as ever, but did he really want to add to the torment of someone who already seemed pained enough?

"It's a long story," he told her, giving her the chance to back out or go ahead. The corners of her mouth twitched into a sad smile,

"I've got time," she murmured. His own mouth curved slightly, that was certainly true, they weren't going anywhere until this wretched storm had passed. Still, where was he supposed to begin? He wasn't a good story teller, and this wasn't exactly the easiest story to tell.

"What do you know?" he asked her, deciding he could build on her knowledge rather than start from scratch. It was easier for both of them that way.

"Well..." she chewed her lip in thought, "I know that the Lombaxes...left the universe in the face of some great enemy, many years ago. But where, when, how and why...I don't know." Ratchet nodded, it wasn't much, but it was a start.

"There was an enemy, a Cragmite and self-proclaimed Emperor. He forced the Lombaxes to flee into another dimension for their own safety. The Cragmite's name was Tachyon..."

And so, Ratchet began to tell Skyla all that had happened nearly two and a half decades ago that had shaken the galaxy to its very core. He kept it as simple as possible, leaving things open for questions, but for the most part, his audience remained quiet. He told her about the Great War between the Lombaxes and the Cragmites, the invention of the Dimensionator and the consequential fall of the Cragmite Empire. He told her of the Lombaxes discovery of Tachyon's egg on Kreeli Comet and how they brought him up as one of their own. He told her about Tachyon's discovery of his origins and the fall of his race at the hands of the Lombaxes, and how he vowed to wipe them out and bring back the Cragmite Empire. He told her how Tachyon had tricked the Lombaxes into sharing their technology before turning on them with an eye for revenge. He told her how the Lombaxes had no choice but to flee before Tachyon and his vast army, escaping into another dimension via the Dimensionator. He told her how Tachyon had then rampaged through the galaxy, destroying every Lombax he met and stealing their technology, effectively eliminating all trace of the Lombaxes one step at a time.

As he narrated, he could see Skyla growing angrier and angrier with each passing minute, her ears lowering down to her skull in rage. Secretly, he was pleased by her reaction, but didn't want her to explode on him.

"He's dead," he said quickly as steam began to pour out of her ears. This seemed to bring her up short,

"Dead?" she echoed, blinking in surprise, her rage subsiding ever so slightly.

"Yeah," Ratchet confirmed, "I killed him," he added. Skyla's eyebrows rose in surprise,

"You...killed him?" Ratchet nodded and proceeded to tell her all that had happened between him and the Cragmite not that long ago. He told her about Tachyon's attack on Kerwan and how they'd escaped to the Polaris galaxy and the consequent race for survival that had ensued. He told her about their search for the 'Lombax Secret' and finding out that it was the lost Dimensionator. He told her, briefly, how Tachyon had brought back the Cragmites and the battle they had had on Fastoon. He told her how he'd fought Tachyon, and defeated him, trapping him forever in another dimension. He failed to mention how Tachyon had offered him the chance to join the Lombaxes in their dimension and how he had declined, he wasn't sure how Skyla would take that news and while he thought she'd understand...he wasn't ready to tell her just yet. Neither did he tell her about Alister Azimuth, or the events that had occurred at the Great Clock. That could all wait, for now.

When he'd finished, there was a small pause as Skyla frowned in thought.

"So...they're gone...forever? The Lombaxes, and the Cragmites...?" she asked.

"Yes, all the Dimensionators were destroyed and there's no other way for us to go to the Lombaxes or even contact them. I'm sorry," he added, meaning it with all his heart.

"Don't be...it's not your fault," Skyla said without thinking, then stopped abruptly. She glanced up at the sandy Lombax, an array of emotions flooding through her. Was it his fault? Was he partly to blame for their isolation from their race? He certainly wasn't telling her everything, what was he hiding? Almost as soon as that thought had sprung to mind she dismissed it immediately. No, she would not let herself go down that route, not now...not ever. Ratchet's tale was authentic and the sadness in his voice as he recounted the loss of the Lombax race was genuine. He was just as distressed as she was by their absence and she got the instinctive feeling that if there was something he could have done to save them or bring them back, he would have. She would not hold him accountable for the fall of the Lombaxes, not when that responsibility fell to Tachyon. And Ratchet had disposed of Tachyon, so there was little more to it. He had killed the one who had killed the Lombaxes, he was a Hero.

Skyla looked up at Ratchet who was watching her carefully, as if sensing her trail of thought and was nervous as to what her reaction would be. In his eyes, there were so many things she knew he had to tell her, but now was not the time for it all to come out into the open. She would have to be patient, they were in this together. She smiled at him, a small smile that she hoped conveyed at least some of what she was feeling, and he returned the gesture, his whole face lighting up with relief and gratitude.

Laughter reached their ears the two Lombaxes looked over to see Maia and Clank returning. Both seemed in good spirits and Maia was smiling widely and Clank seemed to be doing the same, though it was more in his optic sensors than his metallic mouth. The Cazar looked between Ratchet and Skyla, taking in their expressions. To her joy, all had gone well, she could tell from the identical look in their eyes. The look of two creatures who knew loss of the greatest and most painful kind, two creatures damaged seemingly beyond repair...but having found another of the same heart could now share in a loss, a loss they no longer had to carry alone.

Maia resumed her former position beside Skyla and gave her friend a small smile. The grey Lombax smiled back and Maia allowed her a small, inward nod of satisfaction. It may only be the beginning, but already she had a good feeling about the ex-slave and the Hero and trusted her gut when it told her that the end result would be ultimately good for both of them. The healing process had begun.


	20. Sarathos

The storm lasted the rest of the day and through the night. The group spent the time lounging around the cave, resting and replenishing their energy supplies. Maia and Clank seemed to get on very well and they chatted animatedly most of the time. But between the two Lombaxes there was little conversation. This was mostly because Skyla was still trying to get her head around all that she had been told, letting it all sink in. There was a lot she could accept easily enough, like the fact the Lombaxes were gone, but some things took longer to acknowledge, like the brutal truth of _how_ they had gone.

Ratchet could see Skyla was struggling so kept quiet for the most part, giving her time and space to adapt to this new knowledge. He himself knew what it was like to believe yourself truly alone. He'd known for a while he could well be the last Lombax in this universe, though it had taken several years for him to accept it. Growing up on Veldin, well, he'd never really thought of his own kind. Even when he'd met Clank and started travelling the galaxies, it hadn't fazed him. He simply hadn't been paying attention. Then he'd met Angela and he'd begun to think more about the Lombax race and why there were so few of them around. But when she'd disappeared...he'd dismissed all thoughts of the Lombaxes and almost gone backwards into self-inflicted ignorance.

Then there was Tachyon and his invasion of Kerwan. That was when Ratchet had really begun to think of the Lombaxes, and why there were so few and how he might be the last of his kind. When Tachyon had named him the last Lombax in the universe, he'd felt it in his gut that the Cragmite spoke the truth. The final blow came when he'd met Alister and found out exactly what had happened to the Lombaxes, how his kind had been driven from the universe, how his father had volunteered to stay behind, how he'd died to keep them safe, and how the Lombaxes were gone, perhaps forever. Alister had been his hope, for a while. The Elder had promised that he'd give Ratchet his family back, he promised he'd save the Lombaxes, he promised Ratchet he wouldn't be alone. But, the universe has a cruel sense of humour, and Alister's promises went unfulfilled. Alister himself had died and...that was it. Ratchet was the last Lombax, the final member of a once great race...destined to spend the rest of his life, alone.

Of course, he would never be truly alone. Heaven knew he would not be alive today were it not for Clank, his best pal. Clank had always been there for him, always been willing to help, always ready with a wise word here and there. Funny, for a non-organic being, there were times when Clank was more feeling than Ratchet. After Alister had died...life had been particularly difficult for the Lombax, and if Clank hadn't been there to see him through...he didn't know what he would have done. But he'd survived, and gradually learned to accept his lot in life and move on. He was the last Lombax, there would never be another – The End.

And now there was Skyla.

Just when he'd come to terms with his lonely existence, just when he'd begun to put the past behind him and look to the future, just when he'd pushed all thoughts of meeting another Lombax from his mind...along came Skyla.

Suddenly, his view of the universe was a whole lot different in the space of about two seconds. When Maia had told him about her, he'd been sceptical, his thinking being it was a ruse to get him to help. But the honesty in Maia's eyes had persuaded him to give it a try so he went along with it. And then he'd met Skyla. Even when he'd come across her, beaten and covered in blood, he knew exactly what she was. She was a Lombax – like him. Because she was alive, everything had changed. Because she existed, there was hope. To think, that all this time he'd been flying around the galaxies, visiting God knew how many worlds...there'd been a Lombax living in Solana, and a female Lombax at that. A female Lombax...a _female _Lombax...

Ratchet's eyes widened and he roughly shoved those thoughts aside. It was _far_ too early to be thinking about that, if he should think about it at all! Well, he'd obviously think about it at some point, providing they got off Sarathos alright, especially since she was young, healthy, attractive...

Ratchet shook his head violently, what was he thinking? Those thoughts were unfair, on both of them! It wasn't right for him to going down that route...for now.

He scowled down at the Constructo Pistol he was playing with and angrily tugged the trigger, sending a line of laser fire to the ground where it left a glowing red scorch mark.

"Are you alright?" he looked up with a small start to see the Cazar, Maia, looking down at him. She looked a lot like Sasha except slimmer, with more delicate features and gentle hazel eyes instead of sky blue ones. She wore a soft smile that seemed to be permanently fixed about her face and he felt his heart warm almost automatically. She looked like someone you wanted to make happy, someone you wanted to be proud of you, someone you wanted for a friend, or a mother. Ratchet had no mother.

"I'm fine, thanks," he replied with a smile, but it didn't quite reach his eyes. The Cazar nodded, though he could tell she knew he wasn't being honest. She let it pass, however, and went over to the grey Lombax, fussing over her like a mother hen. Ratchet looked on with a pang of envy. He'd never had anyone to fuss over him like that, there was no mother figure in his life. Skyla was lucky she had someone like Maia to look after her.

That wasn't to say there weren't people for Ratchet too. He had people to love him and care for him, but it was a different kind of love. But it was still love. This thought soothed Ratchet to an extent and he felt a little more relaxed. It was comforting to know that both of them, he and Skyla, were loved by others. It gave them something, a security and a promise that it would never just be them. There would always be hope. Because, it is as they say - the loved are never alone.

* * *

><p>A new day brought a final end to the storm, and Ratchet wasted no time in preparing to go out and see to Aphelion. However, there was a minor problem in the form of a stubborn Lombax.<p>

"I'm going with you," Skyla announced. He raised an eyebrow at her,

"You've only got one working arm," her told her sceptically. The grey Lombax picked up her limp arm and looked at it for a moment, shaking it in an almost comical way, as if she hoped to jiggle it back into working order. It didn't work and her arm remained lifeless. She sighed irritably and dropped the limb, putting on what she hoped was a determined face,

"I'll manage," she said with a lopsided shrug. Ratchet's mouth twitched and he struggled not to smile.

"I think it's best if you stay here," he said lightly.

"I'm coming with you," the grey Lombax repeated firmly.

"Sarathos is a dangerous planet, miss, it is safer for you to stay here," Clank informed her. Skyla gave him a small bright smile,

"Call me Skyla, or Sky...and I'll be fine," she said to the robot. Ratchet looked at her incredulously,

"There are creatures out there that could eat you for breakfast and still have room for a whole troop of Agorians. You need to stay here...for your own safety."

"I can take care of myself," Skyla muttered in a low voice, her eyes averted.

"Still, I won't have you risking your life for nothing," Ratchet stated.

"I can help...besides, what about you? I suppose you'll be risking your life too?" asked Skyla with mild irritation.

"I've dealt with Sarathos before and it won't be for nothing. I need to fix Aphelion so we can get off this damn planet," Ratchet answered, his voice bordering on a growl. He didn't like her tone. Couldn't she see she was in no state to be wandering around Sarathos? The idea of _any_ person with only one arm traversing across the creature infested swamps, armourless and weaponless was pure madness...let alone one of the last Lombaxes!

"But if I help then we'll get the job done quicker and be off in half the time," Skyla argued. Ratchet gave a short bark of laughter,

"No offence, but there's not a lot you can do to help me with one arm...it's best if you stay here."

"I'll manage...I can help," Skyla pressed on stubbornly.

"No, you can't," Ratchet insisted, beginning to get irritated with her, "you're staying here and that's final." Skyla's eyes flashed dangerously at this and she opened her mouth to make a harsh retort.

"Sky, be reasonable," Maia cut across her friend, stopping her from saying anything she would regret, "you're still recovering from life threatening injuries and your arm will be a hindrance to you. Let Ratchet fix Aphelion and then we can get off this planet...to safety," the Cazar implored her friend with something of a pleading tone, willing her words to get through the stubborn barrier of Skyla's mind. Skyla looked from Maia to Ratchet and back again, and her face contorted in confliction. She swallowed unconsciously. She knew they were right, that she was better off staying here…but she hated the idea of sitting around doing nothing while Ratchet went off, especially if Sarathos was as dangerous as he said it was. She'd just met him, for heaven's sake! And now he was leaving…?

Ratchet softened as he took in her expression, understanding her position well enough to know what she was thinking. He'd be feeling the same way, if it was him.

"Look," he began gently, "I'll only be a few hours...then it's goodbye Sarathos." The grey Lombax looked at him for a moment and he willed her to believe him. Every minute he spent on this planet had his skin crawling like Veldinian ants running over his fur. He _hated_Sarathos, and wanted to get off it as quickly as possible. Every second they spent arguing was time he could be fixing Aphelion, but first she had to believe him, she had to trust him.

Skyla was torn. Part of her was angry she was wasting time by keeping him here, but the other part felt justified for the opposite, not wanting him to go at all. Sarathos was dangerous. Who knew what lay out there for the sandy Lombax?

"What if you get hurt?" she asked in what she meant to be a strong voice but which came out, to her embarrassment, as rather childish. Ratchet gave her something of a sympathetic look and exchanged glances with Clank. It was perfectly natural for her to worry for his safety, all things considered, but she honestly had no idea what he and Clank had been through...

"I'll be fine," Ratchet assured her simply, not wanting to go in depth at the moment. Skyla noticed his expression and the look he shared with the robot and couldn't help but feel she was missing something big.

"We will leave you with a com-link if that is what you want," Clank offered.

"That'd be great. Thanks, Clank," Maia smiled at the robot before looking pointedly at Skyla. There was a short pause, then her friend shrugged,

"Yeah, I guess," she mumbled, still feeling a little frustrated and confused by the whole situation. Ratchet saw the other Lombax's ears droop ever so slightly in defeat and against his will his mouth twitched slightly, curling into a small smile. His own ears drooped like that on occasion, as only Lombax ears could.

"Here," he took a step toward her, drawing something out of his back pocket and holding it out to her. Skyla looked at it. It was his gun, the one he'd been playing with earlier.

"Take it," he said to her. Skyla's eyebrows rose in surprise and Ratchet smiled.

"Take it," he repeated, "just in case." The grey Lombax looked up at him, a calculating look in her eyes. He could guess what she was thinking – was he giving it to her for his sake, or her own? He wasn't trying to patronise her, he just wanted to know she wasn't defenceless...and he also wanted her to know that he was on her side. She had nothing to fear from him.

This must have come across to her as she accepted the gun from him with her working hand.

Skyla held the weapon in her palm, weighing it up. She'd never held a gun before, not properly, anyway. It was medium in size, and just the right shape for her hand to curve around neatly. It was red in colour with a black barrel and handle. Sleek, but simple. Holding the gun like she'd seen the guards do, she pointed it out of the cave, imagining herself taking a shot.

"The safety's there, above the trigger," he pointed to it, "the light needs to be on or it won't fire. It's just on its default setting for the moment...don't want it accidently going off inside the cave when it's in ricochet mode!" Ratchet explained with a light laugh. Skyla nodded,

"Thank you," she said sincerely, letting the weapon fall to her side, tightly gripped in her hand.

"Here's hoping you don't have to fire it," Maia murmured and Ratchet gave her a reassuring smile.

"Don't worry," he told her, "we'll only be a couple of hours. Just stay inside, don't do anything stupid and you'll be fine." Skyla pulled a face at this and Ratchet laughed again, strapping his wrench to his side. He looked over at Clank who had given Maia half of a com-link and was showing her how to use it.

"Clank?" he said when they'd finished. The robot looked up at him,

"Coming, Ratchet." With that the robot jumped, landing on Ratchet's back in his usual backpack position. Only Skyla seemed surprised by this, but she quickly hid it and made no comment. Maia pocketed the device she'd been given and smiled,

"Good luck."

"Thanks. See you later!" Ratchet called as he began to move away, his eyes just lingering on Skyla as he once again registered her expression. She looked a little lost and bewildered by everything, frustrated, too. She wasn't in the nicest of situations, stranded on a hostile planet with someone you thought wouldn't exist and then having to watch them go off across said planet...and not knowing if they'd make it back safely.

In his own way, Ratchet was loath to leave her here, even though he knew he had to see to Aphelion for all their sakes. If they had time, he'd sit her down somewhere and tell her...well, everything. Everything from his life he could remember, if only to wipe the look of bewilderment off her face and clear aside a few obstacles for her. But they didn't have time for that now, it would have to wait. Besides, he'd only be a few hours, and then they'd have plenty of time to talk…hopefully.

Sighing at the yet another damnable situation he'd been thrown into, he headed out of the cave with Clank, leaving the Cazar and the grey Lombax gazing after them.

* * *

><p>Seconds, minutes, hours, passed while the two friends waited in the cave for the Lombax and the robot to return. Maia did her best to occupy her friend, playing games they'd used to play at the facility, even singing a few songs quietly. She found out Skyla's side of the story after their separation, and though she had never met the Enyd, she felt their loss through the Lombax's pain. They'd obviously meant a lot to her friend, despite the short time she'd been with them. But after Skyla had finished speaking, she'd slipped into a silence, her ears twitching like they had a tick. Maia was a little at loss, there was only so much she could do to entertain a fidgety Lombax with one arm.<p>

Skyla held out for as long as she could, but was eventually forced to give into her boredom. It had been over two hours and there was still no sign of Ratchet. She got to her feet clumsily. She had to do something, anything other than sitting here twiddling one thumb. She looked longingly out of the cave and glanced at her friend. The Cazar shook her head,

"No, Sky, it's too dangerous."

"Please, I won't go far…and we have a gun, remember?" the grey Lombax waved the weapon in the air for emphasis. Maia gave her a look,

"That's hardly going to be much use against what's out there."

"Please, Maia…I've never been on Sarathos before."

"It's a gaseous planet, Sky, there's not much to see," the Cazar replied.

"Two minutes. That's all I ask, just two minutes…please?" Skyla let one of her ears drop slightly as she spoke and tilted her head slightly. She knew from experience that this made her look 'cute' and almost always worked with the Cazar. A smile danced across Maia's lips as she recognised the look and its meaning, and she knew what Skyla could get like confined to one space for a long time…so what harm could two minutes do?

"Two minutes," Maia repeated with an air of finality, giving Skyla a hard look for emphasis. The grey Lombax beamed at her friend, her whole face lighting up.

"Thank you," she said honestly and turned to leave.

"Wait," the Cazar called after her and Skyla turned. Maia got to her feet and dusted herself down, "I'm coming with you." A brief look of uncertainty passed over the Lombax's face, but then her grip around the gun tightened and she nodded.

"Sure," she smiled. The two friends left the cave together, going no further than a few metres from the mouth.

Outside in the open, Skyla got her first good look at Sarathos. Needless to say, she was disappointed.

All around them had a dirty green tinge to it from the gases given off by the many swamps dotted about. The air had a distinct smell to it, akin to that of a sewer reaching the final stages of rot and decay. The ground was mostly composed of mud and rock with sparse vegetation scattered her and there. The only sign of life around were the grotesque plants and the swamps themselves, their surfaces bubbling up into mounds before bursting, releasing more gas into the atmosphere. The whole planet felt putrid and uninhabitable, but there was oxygen enough to breathe.

Skyla and Maia's nose wrinkled in disgust at the smell and the Cazar clamped a hand over her mouth in an effort to keep it out.

"What an awful smell!" Maia exclaimed, her voice muffled behind her hand. Skyla nodded in agreement,

"It's a swamp planet alright." The grey Lombax moved further away from the cave. The landscape was fairly flat, with a few hills and shallow mounds. She could just see a burst of colour not too far away from them, which she took to be Ratchet's ship from the size and shape of it. From what she could see, Ratchet was still hard at work.

"Don't go too far, Sky," cautioned Maia, hanging around the mouth of the cave. There was a swamp that nearly reached the entrance, like a tendril of some alien reaching towards them, looking to ensnare them and drag them into its foul depths. Skyla smiled at her friend,

"I'm fine, Maia." The Cazar pursed her lips,

"Be careful, I really don't like this planet…"

She got no further.

Completely without warning the swamp nearest them erupted like a volcano, a great form leaping out from the deep. Skyla's eyes widened in shock; it was big, and resembled a scorpion with a long tail curling over its back, tipped with three very sharp looking prongs. A line of faintly glowing spikes ran down its spine and at its front three glowing orbs that Skyla took to be its eyes glared fiercely at them. It had four legs that were dripping with swamp mud, ending in dagger like points, and vicious claws at least the length of Skyla's arm protruding from its head, with smaller fangs visible underneath. But there was no time to even shout a warning as the thing lunged towards Maia, grabbing her around the waist with its claws. The Cazar gave a cry as she was pulled off her feet and dragged steadily towards the swamp.

Spurred into action by her friend's outcry, Skyla raised the gun in her good hand, turning the safety off as she did. Pointing it at the forms tail, away from her friend, she fired three successive shots. Two of them missed completely but one clipped the bobbing tail, but it did little damage. She fired another three shots to no avail. The creature was strong and all too soon Maia gave another cry as her feet touched the swamps surface.

A jolt of fear and adrenalin shot through Skyla and she took aim once again, her desperation causing her to shoot closer to her friend then she would have liked. She aimed for the creatures eyes and prayed for a miracle as she pulled the trigger.

Someone up there must have heard her as although she didn't hit the biggest orb, she hit a smaller one next to it.

The creature gave a guttural hiss and its grip on Maia loosened allowing Skyla to rush forward and pull on her friend, yanking her hard in an effort to free her. But the scorpion beast recovered quickly and tightened its claws around the Cazar, causing her to cry out again in pain.

Fury coursed through Skyla's veins and she lashed out at the monster, driving her foot into what might have been called its chin. The creature's grip on Maia lessened once again and Skyla wasted no time in heaving on her friend, pulling her back with all her might. The sudden force took the beast by surprise and Maia was jerked from its claws, the two friends falling away from it and landing heavily on their backs. The Lombax gave herself no time to recover and, ignoring her groaning bones, leapt in front of her friend, using her body as a shield from the monster.

"Maia, get back!" she cried as the creature let out a tremendous roar of anger. Her Cazar friend scrabbled backwards but hesitated a few feet away. Skyla kept her eyes locked on the creature, watching for when it was next going to strike. It retreated slightly, as if assessing the situation.

Skyla risked a glance back to make sure Maia was decently out of harm's way before turning back to face the monster. Its tail tip was glowing bright green and it fired it like a gun, laser fire heading straight for the grey Lombax. Skyla just managed to dodge the blasts, but felt the heat of the lasers zipping by her, far too close for comfort. The creature had its own biological weapons. Great.

Knowing where to aim now, Skyla jumped left to avoid more laser fire before taking aim and firing in the direction of the monsters eyes. Some of her shots missed completely while others glance off the creature natural body armour, but the glowing eyes remained unharmed. Cursing loudly, Skyla dropped to the ground and rolled away as a laser beam shot from the scorpion's tail, missing her by millimetres. She tried to get up and take aim again but was forced to dive to the side as more lasers swept passed her. But her luck was running thin as one of the shots breezed over her calf, ripping her trousers and tearing off the fur underneath as well as several layers of skin. Hissing, Skyla stumbled forward slightly and tried to turn to fire once again, but the creature seemed to have anticipated this as it lunged forward with surprising speed, jabbing its tail in her direction. The grey Lombax tried to evade the barbs but she was too slow.

A cry of agony escaped her as one of the barbs caught her in the thigh, ripping downwards in a sudden jerk motion. She collapsed to the ground, the gun sent spinning from her grasp as the creature dug its tail deeper into her side, using it to pin her to the floor. Its claws descended on her and she would have been impaled a second time had her hands not shot up to catch the claws, wrestling with them to keep them away from her body. As she struggled with the claws that snapped away inches from her torso, she felt the barb in her leg begin to heat up and realised what it meant a millisecond later. Yanking the claws up she gave her leg a brutal tug, rolling away as she did. She let out another cry of pain as the barb was roughly ripped from her thigh. A second later several lasers shots hit the spot she had just occupied, scorching the ground and leaving it smoking.

Skyla caught sight of the gun not far ahead of her and she began frantically scrabbling towards it. Reaching towards it, her fingers were just centimetres away when the creature roared again. She felt the ground shake as it jumped towards her and landed practically on top of her, its front leg impaling the gun, rendering it useless with a few sparks and a fizz.

Her attempts to crawl away from it proved futile as it pinned her down once again with its other front leg. She let out an 'oomph' as the air was forced from her lungs, and the pressure continued to build. Spots appeared before her eyes and she could feel the gash in her leg bleeding heavily, her blood soaking into the ground around her.

The grey Lombax lay defenceless on the ground as the scorpion towered over her, making loud guttural sounds of victory as it gnashed its claws together in anticipation. Skyla blinked up at it, feeling her ribs begin to cave in under the weight of the creature. She knew she should move, but she couldn't. It had her trapped and there was nothing she could do. With the creature bearing down on her, its deadly claws glistening in the sunlight, she could only lie and wait for the end.


	21. Fireside Talk

Out of nowhere, something smashed into the scorpion, knocking it back. The creature gave a guttural howl of pain as another smash hit it in the head, breaking the shell around its face and spraying Skyla with a green liquid that could only be its blood. It snarled in rage and turned to face the new attacker, and was met full on by one, two, three blows, driving it back and away from Skyla. A figure jumped into her view, swinging something wildly as it took on the scorpion. The monster was pushed back with each blow, the figure shouting furiously as it struck hard again and again. The creature, temporarily stunned, retreated a few paces with staggering steps. Then the figure turned and Skyla saw them properly.

It was Ratchet...but he was different.

His eyes were blazing fiercely and his whole body was tensed and prepared for battle. His wrench, tightly held in his fist, was coated in green blood and his clothes were covered with flecks of the stuff. The way he held himself, his expression...Ratchet was a Warrior.

"Get back, get back!" he yelled at Skyla as the recovered creature let out a challenging roar. The grey Lombax scrabbled to her feet, her leg only just taking her weight, and took a step back, then paused. She looked from Ratchet to the creature who was readying to attack again. It let out another roar and lunged at both of them.

Ratchet leapt into the air and brought his wrench crashing down on the creatures head, cracking one of its claws and getting them spewed once again with green blood. He glanced back at her as he regained his grip on his wrench,

"GO!" he shouted, eyes alive with battle fire. It was more his look of raw, warrior strength than their situation that sent Skyla stumbling backwards as Ratchet turned on the creature once again. She only got a few steps before her leg gave way and she collapsed to the ground, biting her lip to stop a cry of pain. Using her elbows, she tried to push herself up again as fast as she could. Arms hooked under her body and began hauling her back in uneasy steps. Skyla knew at once it was Maia, and that her friend had been injured to by the uneasiness of their movement. But there was nothing she could do to stop the Cazar as she was dragged into the cave, leaving a trail of blood in her wake. Once they'd reached the fire Maia set her down gently before crumpling to a heap beside her, gasping from the effort. Skyla shook her head as spots danced in her vision,

"You...shouldn't have...done...that," she gasped, her limbs taking on the feeling of jelly. Maia grimaced in pain as she wheezed heavily,

"You're...welcome," she panted, and it sounded like she'd damaged her lungs. The Cazar reached a shaky hand towards where the nanotech lay and held it out to the Lombax. Skyla shook her head, drawing herself up into a sitting position,

"No...you first," she said.

"But Sky..." the Cazar began to protest.

"Drink it, Maia," Skyla hissed, putting her head in her hands. Maia hesitated.

"Drink it, Maia," repeated Skyla, a little louder. She choked slightly and a shudder ran through her body, closing her eyes momentarily she waited as nausea swept over her in great waves. Her ears were ringing, but she thought she could hear Ratchet and the creature still fighting. If he could just keep it away in time for Maia to drink the nanotech... When she opened her eyes she saw Maia carefully sipping from the pouch, her whole body glowing a neon blue colour as the medicine kicked in.

After only one and a half mouthfuls she stopped, anxious to save as much as possible for her friend. She held it out to the Lombax who took it gratefully. Skyla tried to raise the pouch to her lips but her hands were shaking so badly she couldn't drink from it. Her whole body was struggling hard to perform even the most basic functions, she'd been so badly beaten in the past few days and even with her time for healing...it hadn't been enough. Her body was like a house of cards, and the slightest impact could send her crashing to the ground. Taking an attack from giant scorpion was more than enough to send her over the edge.

There was the sound of a body sliding across the floor and a gentle hand was placed over her own, steadying her hold on the pouch and raising it to her lips. Skyla tried to smile her gratitude but only managed a feeble twitch as Maia helped her drink the rest of the nanotech. As soon as the plasma-like liquid slipped down her throat, Skyla felt herself begin to heal, the tiny robots in the mixture scurrying about her innards, fixing up her battered body. She gulped down mouthful after mouthful, Maia's hand tenderly forcing her to drink the whole pouch. When she'd drained the pouch Maia removed it gently, tossing it aside as she looked down at her friend.

"How are you feeling?" the Cazar asked anxiously. Skyla blinked once, then twice, strength gradually returning to her limbs like water being poured from a jug to a cup. The nanotech had done its job well, and after a moment only the slight throbbing sensation in her leg told of a previous wound.

"Good," she looked at her friend, noting with relief that her own wounds had all but disappeared, "how about you?"

"I'm fine," Maia answered, the worry falling off her face like an autumn leaf to be replaced by a smiling flower of spring.

Skyla's arm was itching and she scratched it automatically, turning to look out the cave as she did.

"Sky!" Maia cried and the grey Lombax jumped, her head whipping around to her friend as her body tensed for danger. But Maia was smiling happily...at her arm.

"Your arm is working again!" she exclaimed joyfully and Skyla realised she was right. She held up her previously unresponsive arm and clenched and unclenched her fist experimentally. It was working perfectly.

A large bang made both friends start and turn towards the cave entrance, where it came from. Clouds of dust blew up in front of them, obscuring their view of the goings on outside. Skyla scrambled to her feet, as did Maia, and they took a few steps back instinctively, waiting on any sign of attack. Some of the dust cleared and Skyla squinted as she tried to see what was happening.

Then she spotted a figure coming out of the dust, towards them. It entered the cave, marching straight for them, coated in a fine layer of dust. Skyla contemplated fleeing but dismissed the thought almost immediately, she had nothing to fear from him...right? She briefly hesitated as he stopped in front of her, clamping his hands down on her shoulders. He bore no visible sign of injury apart from a few scratches, a couple of rips in his top and the green blood that was splattered here and there. His whole body was still tensed for battle and his eyes pierced her with their battle fire intensity.

"Are either of you hurt?" he demanded, glancing between the grey Lombax and the Cazar. Skyla shook her head once,

"No...we're fine," she replied, somewhat apprehensively. Even now, he looked dangerous. Maia nodded in agreement,

"We're ok now, Ratchet." The sandy Lombax turned on Skyla, his face like thunder,

"You _idiot!"_ he cried, shaking her shoulders, "what were you thinking? You complete and utter...how could you be so stupid? You _idiot!_" His anger was like a hive of angry wasps, making the very air seem to vibrate and buzz around them with crackling energy. Skyla opened her mouth to reply but found her throat had gone dry as his eyes continued to bore into her.

"What were you thinking?" he went on, "tell me, what were you thinking? Taking on a full grown Leviathan with a small pistol...it might as well have been a toothpick!" he shouted.

"You gave it to me," Skyla blurted without thinking, but instantly regretted it as he let out a harsh bark of laughter.

"I gave it to you for the off chance a stray Shrieker might find its way in. It was for _defence_, not attack! If I'd known you wanted to take on a Leviathan I would have given you a RYNO...! Hell, if I'd known, I wouldn't even have left at all! How could you be so stupid? That thing could have _killed you_," he put an emphasis on the last two words, looking directly at Skyla, eyes still blazing.

"Ratchet, it was my fault," Maia began, taking a step forward, "I shouldn't have agreed to go outside with her, I shouldn't have let her go." Ratchet glanced over at her and the Cazar stopped in her tracks. He looked so wild and angry at the moment, she hesitated before continuing.

"It was my fault, Ratchet," she repeated, swallowing nervously. The sandy Lombax's eyes narrowed but before he could respond Skyla spoke up,

"No," she said, giving Maia a firm look. She looked up at Ratchet with a shaky breath, "it was _my _fault...and my fault alone. I was the one who suggested going outside and I persuaded Maia to let me. I should have just stayed in the cave, like you said," she told him. He was only an inch or so taller than her but right now, his anger made him seem like a giant.

"I'm sorry, Ratchet," she murmured, looking him straight in the eye and refusing to break contact. She _was_ sorry, honestly and truly...and he needed to see that she was.

Ratchet looked at her hard through the red of his anger and saw the sincerity in her eyes. She meant what she said, she was sorry...and so she should be! What had she been thinking? Didn't she know he'd told her to stay inside for _her own safety_?

Yet, although he was so angry right now, not all of his rage was directed at _her._ He was angry at the Leviathan for attacking them, even if it was its nature, and he'd dealt out justice as it now lay outside, blown to pieces by a well placed bomb. However, he was also angry at himself for not leaving her with adequate protection. He was angry at himself for leaving her in the first place. Even if he needed to go see to Aphelion...he shouldn't have left her.

She did not deserve all his anger.

But he didn't trust himself to speak for fear his voice would crack, so simply nodded curtly. Skyla's eyes flooded with relief and gratitude, though still retaining their apology and he felt his heart throb slightly and looked down before he saw any more.

"Ratchet, what is going on?" Clank's voice made him turn to see his friend standing in the cave entrance, looking at them with a concerned expression.

"Nothing, Clank," Ratchet replied, clearing his throat, "it's all sorted," he glanced again at Skyla and she met his eyes briefly before they both turned away. Inwardly, he sighed heavily. This current fiasco might be at an end, but it wasn't all sorted, not by a long shot...

* * *

><p>The fire sparked and crackled as the flames danced about, casting shadows over the cavern walls. Skyla sat beside it, clutching her knees to her as she gazed into its fiery depths, her eyes flickering with the light that reflected in them. But she did not see the flames, or indeed the cave, for though her eyes were open, her mind was elsewhere.<p>

It had taken away from the cave, away from Sarathos and all the way back to the facility, to the life she had had there. It felt like years had passed since she escaped that place, but in reality it had been no more than a week.

She thought about Cornelius and Xavier. Were they ok? How had they reacted to her escape? Did they know she would return for them? She hoped dearly they had not come to harm and sent up a quick prayer for their safety. If Baen had touched them...her eyes narrowed, there would be hell to pay. But her gut told her they were safe, Baen would not hurt them...yet. But they wouldn't remain unharmed forever, not while they were at the facility and she was out here, not while they were slaves and she free. If she'd stayed, they would definitely be alright. If she'd stayed, Jaymz would still be alive, life would have continued as normal...she would never have met Ratchet.

Skyla frowned. What _would_ have happened if she'd stayed at the facility? Would she and Ratchet have lived out their lives thinking they were alone? Would they have given up hope for the Lombax race? And what if their circumstances had been different? What if they'd _both_ been slaves, or _both_ been free? Would they have still met? What if...what if...always, what if...?

The grey Lombax gave a small sigh. She could think all night about it, but it all came down to one thing – Fate.

Fate had dictated that she be a slave and he a free creature, a Hero. Fate had dictated the circumstances they met in. Fate had dictated that sacrifices be made to do so. Fate...what a cruel mistress she was, as black and foreboding as night, with all the mystery too. And she was in control of their lives, she alone knew what lay in store for them.

Skyla had no idea what lay ahead. In the immediate future, she saw herself and the others leaving Sarathos come morning, meeting up with the authorities, raiding the facility, rescuing all her friends then...what? Before she'd escaped, she'd had it all planned out, she knew exactly what she wanted to do. But now...she didn't know what she wanted. Her path was clouded.

"Can't sleep?" came a voice and she looked over to see Ratchet lying on his back, eyes open and upturned. His head tilted towards Skyla and she shook her head in answer. The sandy Lombax got up from where he lay and came over to her.

"Mind if I join you?" he asked politely.

"Sure," mumbled Skyla and scooted over to make room for him. She glanced over to where Maia lay sleeping, deeper into the cavern, her chest rising and falling gently as she slumbered. A few feet from her, tucked against the wall, Clank stood in 'Sleep Mode', though Skyla knew his internal scanners were on high alert. Ratchet himself had set up camp closer to the cave entrance, and had planted a forced field over the mouth for extra safety. After the incident with the Leviathan, safety had been his number one priority.

Once Ratchet was settled beside Skyla, a quiet fell over the two Lombaxes, a natural quiet that didn't feel at all awkward. Skyla didn't feel the need to say anything, so let it draw itself out.

For a while, they simply sat in silence, only the sounds of the fire crackling and the soft hum of the shield reaching their ears. Skyla felt completely at ease, for the first time in a long time, and could quite contentedly stay like this forever.

"I'm sorry I shouted at you," Ratchet murmured, his voice skimming over the silence and leaving it relatively undisturbed. Skyla turned her head slowly to look at him. The firelight flickered over his fur making its look almost golden, and his eyes were glinting like emeralds in the morning sun. Being this close to him, without any other occupying thoughts, she got her first really good look at him. With his strong features, gentle mouth and expressive eyes, she realised, seemingly for the first time, what an incredibly handsome being he was. Skyla's heart skipped a beat at the thought and she swallowed.

"No, I'm sorry," she answered, relieved when her voice came out normal, "I should never have left the cave. You were right to shout at me," she told him.

"Still, I don't usually shout at people...unless they're an idiot and deserve it," Ratchet said lightly.

"I deserved it," Skyla muttered, lowering her eyes in shame.

"Yes, but you're not an idiot," Ratchet responded.

"I nearly got Maia and I killed," Skyla pointed out, though she didn't mention how he'd actually called her an idiot. Ratchet seemed to mull this over for a moment, then shrugged,

"We all make mistakes...some larger than others," he smiled. Skyla raised an eyebrow slightly at this and looked at him with mild incredulity. Was he serious? In his eyes, there was only good humour and honesty and she couldn't help but smile, causing his own mouth to widen.

"Besides," Ratchet went on, "you should have seen some of the things I've done. Ha! I've done far worse than a Leviathan with a pistol!" Skyla's curiosity was peaked and she sat up a little straighter,

"Oh really? Like what?" Ratchet glanced at her and saw the interest in her eyes. This was his chance to talk to her...Lombax to Lombax. Thinking quickly he drew up a few random events,

"Like...a whole pack of Leviathans plus Shriekers, which even with the Negotiator is hard work. A Blargian Snagglebeast with an old bomb glove and rusty blaster. And an Alien Queen with just my wrench. The list goes on," he waved his hand vaguely for emphasis and noted, with delight, the impressed look in her eyes.

"That sounds pretty dangerous," Skyla said, hesitating to say 'idiotic'. Ratchet grinned at her,

"It gets worse. A Kerchu Guardian on a grind rail. A canyon full of Tetramites with only an Omnisoaker full of nectar. Legions of robotic commandoes, more times than I care to count. And of course, Qwark's Personal Hygenator. Don't ask...you don't want to know," he said in answer to Skyla's questioning look. The grey Lombax's mouth was twitching as if she wasn't sure whether to smile or not.

"Are you being serious?" was what she meant to say but what actually came out was,

"Are you insane?" Ratchet threw back his head and laughed, then quickly stopped as he remembered Maia was still asleep. The two Lombaxes glanced at her. The Cazar sighed and turned over, but did not wake. Ratchet caught Skyla's eye and had to look away before they both started laughing.

"Some people do think I'm mad, yes," Ratchet murmured, keeping his voice low, "most think I live for danger."

"Do you?" Skyla asked, raising an eyebrow again. Ratchet shifted slightly, a smile playing about his lips.

"Not really. But it seems wherever I go...danger finds me," he mused aloud. There was another moment of quiet and he looked over at Skyla and saw, to his surprise, a conflicted expression on her face.

"What's wrong?" he asked with concern. Skyla swallowed,

"It's just..." she paused a moment before continuing, "sometimes I wonder...if it might have been better to just stay at the facility. I never thought...about the repercussions of my escaping, the people who would get hurt...because of me," she mumbled bitterly. Ratchet frowned slightly and his heart went out to the grey Lombax, she was feeling guilty because she thought she was somehow to blame for all the bad things that had happened to her. He knew that feeling, and it wasn't nice. He sought to ease her guilt,

"No, no, no. I'm glad you're here...that's worth any danger to me," he told her honestly. She looked up at him, her eyes glistening and once again he was caught up in their intensive blue, how full of life they were, and full of pain. She was a wounded soul...just like him. A wounded, beautiful soul...he swallowed instinctively.

Skyla studied Ratchet, did he really mean what he said? When she looked in his eyes, she found only honesty. He meant it. She smiled, a small, gentle smile,

"Thank you," she whispered to him.

"You're welcome," he replied with his own, genuine smile, making her heart warm. Another silence descended over them as they lapsed into quiet, each temporarily caught up in their thoughts.

After a while, Skyla felt the need to talk more, and as she wasn't keen to talk about herself, decided to keep the conversation around him.

"So..." she began and he looked up at her expectantly, she smiled, "sounds like you've had an exciting life so far." Ratchet's eyes sparkled,

"Yes, I guess you could say that," he answered, his mouth curling into a sly smile.

"How many other planets have you visited?" Skyla asked, curious as to whether he was the explorer type. Ratchet let out a puff of air,

"Whoa...that's a question...er..." he thought a moment, "I really don't know," he confessed, "I've lost count." Skyla's eyes lit up with delight, he was an explorer! Of a sort, anyway, but if he'd lost count of planets he'd visited, that was definitely a good thing in her eyes. She wanted to know more.

"Really? That many? Which ones were your favourites?" Ratchet suppressed a smile at her child-like glee and brought to mind those planets he wouldn't mind visiting again,

"Well...there's Pokitaru, it's tropical and has some of the best seaside resorts in the galaxy. It's a great place for relaxing and I get a free room in any hotel there whenever I want because I...dealt with their population of mutated sea creatures. Marcadia and Rilgar are pretty awesome, they've both got great cities, but Metropolis on Kerwan is the best, not just 'cos it's where I live...but I think that adds to its 'cool' factor," he told her with a wink and she laughed lightly, he went on, "then there's Quantos in the Polaris Galaxy where the Fongoids live, and it's got amazing forests and loads of waterfalls, and not all of the wildlife is bloodthirsty so that's always a bonus. Torren IV is the best place I've ever been for junk, and if you've got a maths problem you need solving, the Terachnoids on Terachnos can help you out," he stopped before he turned into an advertising agent and looked at his audience. Skyla's eyes were wide with wonder as he listed his favourite planets, and he wondered how many planets she'd been on...but didn't ask. He cleared his throat,

"But my favourite planet, of all of them...is Fastoon," he said. The grey Lombaxes frowned slightly at this, as if she was trying to remember something, but couldn't.

"Fastoon?" she echoed. Ratchet nodded,

"Yeah, Fastoon...the Lombax homeworld." Skyla's eyes widened and narrowed quickly, her eyebrows shooting up in surprise.

"The...Lombax homeworld?" she repeated. Ratchet nodded again,

"The one and only." Skyla bit her lip and thought a moment, then asked,

"What's it like?" her voice had an element of longing, but also...uncertainty, as if she wasn't sure what she wanted to know. Ratchet sighed and sat back, leaning on his arms,

"It's...in ruins," he told her honestly, "when I went there...the city is mostly destroyed and Nanophytes were crawling all over the place." He watched as her face fell and realised that although what he'd said was the truth...she needed more.

"But..." he said and her eyes widened in hope as she looked at him expectantly, "you can still see how amazing the place was...is." He took a moment to pull together some thoughts about Fastoon, aiming to portray it in a truthful but good light, "the buildings are huge, stretching up to the sky, and they still look modern even today. There are massive halls where I think council sessions used to take place as they're so grand and important looking. It's quite a rocky place and you need good shoes to get over it all. And there are quite a few canyons you have to slingshot over, and even a Raritanium mine and some underground caverns with subterranean pools. There are plants here and there, even though they don't flower all the time, but they go all the way from dark purple to bright red. There's this species of tree that has several thick trunks that can curl all the way up the side of a building which is kind of cool. Minus the Nanophytes, the natives aren't half bad, if a little prehistoric, but I guess that just adds to the feel of the place. There are these Pterodactyl creatures that fly all over the city, and they have a wingspan of a least 15 feet. There's still a lot of usual city objects about, like street lamps, magnet ramps, and there's even a massive monument at the centre made of giant cogs. The place has been deserted for over 20 years...but it's still the Lombax homeworld, even if there isn't a Lombax to call it home," he finished with only a trace of bitterness in his voice, but Skyla seemed happy with his explanation as a distant look appeared in her eyes.

"It sounds amazing...I'd love to go there someday," she said wistfully.

"I can take you there, if you like," Ratchet offered, "once all this is over." The grey Lombax looked at him in surprise,

"You'd...take me to Fastoon?" Ratchet nodded,

"Yeah, I would...and anywhere else you want to go too."

"Really?" Skyla exclaimed. Ratchet shrugged and smiled,

"Sure...you name a planet and I'll take you there. I can show you the universe...bits of it anyway." The grey Lombax smiled in delight, her whole face lighting up with joy,

"That'd be awesome! You can be my Galactic Tour Guide," she joked. Ratchet laughed,

"Why not? We've only got the rest of our lives to go places...!" He stopped talking abruptly and inwardly cursed his loud mouth. What was he saying? He was being _way _too presumptive...what if she didn't even want to stay with him? Did he even _want _her to stay? Instantly he drove that thought into the ground. Of _course_ he wanted her to stay. Still, what if, once all this was over and he'd taken her places...she decided to go off and disappear, like Angela had done? His heart fell at the thought. He'd be alone again.

"Hey," the gentle tone of her voice made him look up and into the stunning blue of her eyes. She smiled, "I'd like that," she said softly. Ratchet's heart leapt at her words. They weren't making any promises, but...it was a start. One step at a time, wasn't that what they said? He gave her a smile that he hoped convey his gratitude and the look she gave him assured him it did. Then she looked down and fiddled with a bracelet she was wearing, it looked like it was made of flowers and he was amazed it had survived this long. He wanted to ask where she got it, but sensed she wanted to ask something so simply waited patiently. He didn't have to wait long.

"What was it like, on Fastoon?" she asked in a small voice, glancing up at him. He understood what she was asking and thought a moment. This wasn't a request for a description, but rather, a personal reaction.

"When we landed on Fastoon...I wasn't at all prepared for it. We were kind of running for our lives and arrived without looking into it. Well, I did, anyway. I expected it to be different, I guess. Part of me even thought there'd be other Lombaxes living there, it is our homeworld after all," he paused, "but there was no-one. Just...ruins." He sighed as he remembered his shock at finding Fastoon in such a...desolate condition. Something inside him had broken at the sight of the battle-ravaged planet.

"I'm sorry," Skyla murmured. He made a small noise of agreement,

"Hmm, me too," he admitted.

"How exactly did it...end up in that state?" Skyla asked delicately.

"Tachyon," Ratchet growled in reply, his hackles rising slightly at the memory of that foul Cragmite.

"Oh," was all the grey Lombax said. Ratchet took a moment to bring his seething emotions under control.

"I'm glad you killed him," Skyla told him and he looked at her, "though...I would rather it had been me to strike the death blow," she confessed with a wry smile. Ratchet chuckled,

"Sorry, first come, first served." Skyla gave a small laugh,

"At least I'm not out of luck. I've still got Baen to kill," she muttered darkly, eyes narrowing as she remembered the proud Novalian. Ratchet noticed her fists clenching in anger and thought about asking her more about this Baen guy, but decided against it. He was obviously someone he didn't want to know, yet. But he didn't want her thinking murderous thoughts at the moment, not when they were doing so well. Instead, he redirected onto a topic more relevant, and more sensitive, for both of them.

"You know..." he began softly and waited until she looked up at him. Her blue eyes were burning with fire, but the flames died a little as she gazed at him, "you're not the first Lombax I've met," he admitted. That did the trick. The anger died in her eyes to be replaced by shock and surprise as her mouth fell open slightly.

"What?" she exclaimed, "but I thought...how?" Not the first Lombax? But he'd said he was the only one...hadn't he? Ratchet bit his lip and turned his eyes to the fire, arranging his thoughts.

"You're not the first Lombax I've met," he repeated, "there have been two others." He paused momentarily and Skyla blinked at him, her eyes urging him to explain further. Ratchet obliged.

"Several years ago, Clank and I were teleported into the Bogon Galaxy and asked to help out the President of Megacorp. This experiment called a Protopet had been stolen and we were sent to retrieve it. It'd been stolen by this guy and we chased him half way across the galaxy before we found out that the thief was actually a Lombax called Angela Cross, and that the President of Megacorp was really Captain Qwark and the Protopet turned out to be a monster. Anyway, Clank and I teamed up with Angela and managed to mop up the mess Qwark had made. But after that...she just disappeared. I haven't seen her since," Ratchet's voice dropped towards the end with sadness. He missed Angela. She might have had a few bolts loose and been more than a little clumsy, but she'd been good company and he missed her. He also never got the chance to spend time with her, Lombax to Lombax. It wasn't fair.

"I'm sorry..." Skyla murmured, unsure what else to say. There was...had been another Lombax? What had she been like? Where had she gone? Would she ever come back? She wanted to ask, but Ratchet hadn't finished.

"And then, a couple of years ago, in the Polaris Galaxy...I met Alister," Ratchet took a shaky breath before continuing, "Clank had been abducted by these creatures called the Zoni and I was looking for a way to find him. I came across Alister on Torren IV...where he first tried to kill me. He thought I was an assassin, but he soon figured out I wasn't and...he recognised me. Apparently, he and my father had been good friends and...I look just like my dad," Ratchet paused a moment, feeling tears start to well up as the memories came back. He didn't really want Skyla to see him cry, but he had to go on,

"Alister Azimuth was a Four-Bolt Magistrate of the Lombax Praetorian Guard, an elder councilman of the Centre for Advanced Lombax Research and the closest I have ever come to meeting my father," Ratchet said, his voice shaking slightly. Taking a few short breaths he composed himself to continue.

"We fought alongside each other against Dr Nefarious, an organic-life hating robot who wants everyone to be a robot like him. Alister...told me why he wasn't with the other Lombaxes," Ratchet licked his lips slightly, wondering how to continue. What would Skyla make of Alister's actions? He went on carefully,

"Alister lived in exile on Torren IV. He was responsible for Tachyon obtaining the Lombax technology as he was tricked into believing the Cragmite would use them for good. When Tachyon turned their own weapons on them, the Lombaxes exiled Alister and fled...leaving him behind. When I found him, he had this plan to bring back the Lombaxes. You see, at the centre of the universe (give or take 50 feet) there is a machine called the Great Clock. It isn't just a clock for telling time, it's more than that. It keeps time, makes sure it flows properly. The Great Clock was where Clank had been taken by the Zoni as they looked after the machine. Alister had this idea that the clock could be used as a time machine, and that we could go back in time, stop Tachyon and save the Lombaxes. But when we found Clank, he'd found out that the Clock was only for keeping time, not altering it. We tried to tell this to Alister but he wouldn't listen. When we were all at the Great Clock I...told Alister he couldn't go ahead with his plan. Alister...lost it and...killed me," Ratchet waited a moment for Skyla to react and watched as her brow furrowed in acute confusion. The sandy Lombax smiled lopsidedly,

"I'm alive now, clearly...but I did die," his smile slipped and fell from his face as he remembered, "Clank managed to turn back time 6 minutes, as that's the most you can turn back using the Clock, and saved me. But Alister had run ahead and he tried to use the Clock to go back to the fall of the Lombaxes and...we had a battle. Eventually, he realised it wasn't working. Time was ripping itself apart and the whole universe was at risk of collapse. Alister...sacrificed himself to fix the Clock. He died a Hero." Ratchet finished his tale with a sigh and a turn of the head, a single tear running down his face.

Skyla sat in stunned silence for what felt like hours. Ratchet had...been through all that? That was far worse than anything Baen could ever inflict on her. To meet someone so close to home...but then have them turn bitter with loss and die as a consequence of their own actions...it didn't bear thinking about. Skyla could only imagine the pain Ratchet had suffered because of that.

Reaching out a hand she clasped his shoulder gently and squeezed. It was a simple gesture, but one she hoped convey more than just her sympathy.

Ratchet lifted his hand and covered her own, and it was a moment before he spoke again.

"Thank you," he whispered, looking at her with sparkling, tearless eyes. Skyla nodded once in acknowledgement. Ratchet sighed heavily,

"So you see...the only Lombaxes I've met have either disappeared God knows where...or have died," he hesitated, "until now." He looked up at her with such an intense gaze that Skyla felt herself begin to well up almost instinctively, her breathing suddenly shaky and uneven. The emotion in his voice, the pain in his eyes, the hope...it mirrored exactly how she felt. She knew what he was going through, the same way he knew what she was going through, and they were united by their shared loss, though his seemed greater. Skyla opened her mouth and said the first thing that came to her head,

"Here I am," she murmured. Ratchet's eyes shone as he picked her hand off his shoulder and pulled her other one to him, clasping them together in his hands.

"Here you are..." he smiled gently, "here _we_ are," he said and they shared the look of the lost...but with the light of hope just beginning to shine. And in Skyla's mind, she heard the echo of Xavier's voice,

"_You're not alone."_


	22. The Phoenix

When Skyla woke up she did so slowly, sleep draining from her like water down a sink. At first, she couldn"t place why she felt so at ease and peaceful, as it had been so long since she'd experienced either emotion. Then she remembered. Last night, talking to Ratchet, learning more about him, about his life so far...and even though not all of it had been pleasant, she'd enjoyed every minute of it. She'd felt happy with him, and his very presence had relaxed her considerably, driving away her thoughts of the facility and Baen and the future. He had such a friendly, easy going nature, she'd almost forgotten exactly who she was talking to (another Lombax) and where they were (a hostile gaseous planet). Almost.

She smiled groggily in her half slumber, it had been somewhat therapeutic, talking to him, and she'd slept so much better after their conversation. It was then she realised that there was something in her hand. Blinking down, it took her a moment to realise what she was holding. Another hand, a little larger than her own, and wearing a familiar looking glove.

Skyla's eyes widened and she came fully awake immediately, assessing her position and situation. She must have fallen asleep while they were still talking, as she had no idea how she'd ended up lying adjacent to the fire, on the blanket they'd been sitting on. And she wasn't alone. Another Lombax lay beside her, not too close, but close enough for her to count his eyelashes with ease. She looked down at her hand again and her brow furrowed in confusion. Their hands weren't just touching each other, their fingers were well and truly entwined, like knotted rope. It took her another second for her mind to put the pieces together – they had fallen asleep holding hands.

All of a sudden, Ratchet took a deep breath and his chest began to rise and fall more prominently, alerting her that he was waking. His eyes slowly opened and Skyla's jaw slackened slightly as his green gaze met her own. He blinked a few times, coming fully awake. He smiled at her briefly before seeming to notice how close they were and glanced down at their joined hands.

Skyla pulled away as if she'd been scalded and drew back, feeling her cheeks redden.

"I-I...er..." she flushed and avoided his eyes, looking at the floor. She sensed his eyes twinkle with good humoured mirth and something tugged in her chest. Out of nowhere, acute confusion had descended over her like a cloud of fog. She felt..._embarrassed_. Of all things, her...feeling _embarrassed_. It simply didn't happen. And _flushing?_ What was she, 11? Part of her was angry she'd reacted that way, like a young child caught with their hand in the cookie jar, or their hand in the hold of another...that behaviour was beneath her! And yet, all it had taken was one simple touch...

"How did you sleep?" Ratchet murmured, pulling himself upright slowly. Skyla took a moment to reply, her thoughts interrupted by his voice. She hastened to organise them and pull up a reply,

"Well, thank you," she answered uncertainly, then added after a short pause, "you?" Ratchet reached up and stretched deliberately, ignoring the slight ache in his limbs from sleeping on bare stone. It had been worth it.

"Good. I always sleep better in company," he said. She looked down again and her brow knotted slightly in what seemed like thoughtful confusion. Her expression contained puzzlement, embarrassment and even a hint of anger. Ratchet wondered at it, feeling certain it was something to do with how they had woken up. But they'd just been holding hands, right? But something told him it meant more to her, to _both_ of them.

"Ratchet, I have just received a transmission from the Phoenix," the sandy Lombax looked over to see Clank standing by the force field, "they are waiting for us in orbit."

"That was quick," Ratchet mused as he got up and began making breakfast (ration food in vacuum packs).

"They can be efficient...when they want to be," Clank said. Ratchet grunted in agreement and glanced at Skyla who seemed to have recovered and was waking Maia.

The Cazar"s eyes fluttered open and she looked up at Skyla who was kneeling beside her, shaking her gently.

"Good morning, Sunshine," Skyla said. Maia smiled sleepily,

"Good evening, Moonlight." The grey Lombax smiled at the use of their pet morning greeting. Neither of them could remember when it had started but they still used it every now and again. It was something exclusive between them, and that made it special. Maia stretched as she woke up completely and Skyla handed her a portion of ration food.

"We"ll have a proper meal at lunch," Ratchet promised them both as they dug into the dry and relatively tasteless meal.

Once their meagre breakfast was over they gathered their things and left the cave, leaving little trace of their presence except the burnt out fire. They made their way quickly across Sarathos towards Ratchet's ship, travelling in single file. Ratchet led the way closely followed by Maia and then Skyla. Clank brought up the rear at Ratchet's insistence and the look the he'd given Skyla muted any protest she might have made. When they reached their destination, Skyla got her first good look at Ratchet's vessel.

It was a fighter ship, designed for speed and agility, that much was clear. There were two sets of double wings and a double pronged nose, and the whole ship was a royal purple colour which somehow made it look even more sleek. With a small build and full weapon capabilities, it was clear this was not a ship you wanted to be battling. And even with a jarred wing and obviously battered body, she was elegant.

Skyla approached the ship and put a hand on the nose, her eyes wide with admiration.

"She"s beautiful," she murmured.

"_Thank you_," came a feminine voice and the grey Lombax jumped. Then she realised the ship was humming with energy and it was it that had spoken.

"Aphelion, this is Skyla. Skyla, meet Aphelion," Ratchet introduced them, pleased by the positivity of Skyla's reaction. Lombaxes were known for their love of technology and Skyla was clearly no exception.

"A pleasure," the grey Lombax addressed the ship.

"_Likewise...you look just like my old pilot_," the vessel told her and Skyla's eyebrows rose in surprise. She glanced at Ratchet,

"Aphelion is a Lombax fighter ship," the sandy Lombax explained, "I found her on Fastoon and managed to fix her up," he then pointed to the signs along Aphelion"s hull, "that's Lombax writing." Skyla took a step to the side to get a better look. The strange signs Ratchet was indicating looked distinctly like cogs in various shapes and positions.

"What does it say?" asked Skyla.

"My Lombax isn't very good, but I know it says Angel – Aphelion," Ratchet told her. Skyla began tracing the symbols with a finger. This was the language of her people, this was a ship of her people. A relic, of times past.

"Ratchet, I am sorry to hurry you but we must get to the Phoenix," Clanks voice came from nearby. Ratchet looked over,

"Of course. Right everyone...hop in!" Aphelion"s hatch opened and Ratchet jumped in his usual fashion, executing a perfect tumble and landing square in the pilot seat. He leaned over and offered his hand to Skyla who took it with a suppressed smile,

"Show off," she muttered, letting him pull her up. He was surprisingly strong and in no time she was in the ship, wriggling behind the seats as Maia was helped into the passenger seat. The Cazar turned in her seat and opened her mouth to say something but Skyla cut across,

"No, I'm fine Maia. Besides, I'm smaller," she pointed out and the Cazar sighed, pulling the harness across her body.

"Sorry," Ratchet said apologetically as he strapped himself in, "Aphelion"s not built for this many people." Clank suddenly landed on his lap and looked around for space.

"You can go on my lap, Clank, if you like," Maia offered. Was it Skyla's imagination, or did the robot appear to blush?

"Really, Maia, it is no trouble for me...ugh," the robot began to protest but Ratchet simply picked him up and plonked him in the Cazar"s lap.

"Sit there, Clank, it's fine," the sandy Lombax said dismissively, but his eyes were twinkling with mirth and he gave the robot a subtle wink. Clank"s mouth opened and closed a few times but no sound came out.

Aphelion"s hatch closed and Ratchet began flicking buttons. Skyla's head appeared by his shoulder, watching his actions closely.

"I'm doing a systems check," he said in answer to her questioning look.

"Is she alright?" Skyla asked.

"Ah, she"s fine. The Phoenix has the perfect facilities for me to give her a complete check and shine down. Until then, we"re good to go. Hold on." Gripping the wheel, Ratchet pulled gently and they rose off the ground. Checking his flight path, Ratchet took off and they began their ascent off Sarathos, quickly breaking through the atmosphere and leaving the hostile planet behind, hopefully forever.

* * *

><p>"It's good to have you back, sarge."<p>

"It's good to be back, J-47," Ratchet answered as he helped Maia out of Aphelion. The Phoenix had been waiting for them in very low orbit and their meeting up had been interrupted, with no reptiles to ruin the occasion. Once Maia was out Ratchet offered a hand to Skyla, but the grey Lombax ignored him and sprang from the cockpit like a cat, landing lightly on her feet.

"Who"s the show off now?" Ratchet muttered with an eyebrow raised and Skyla grinned at him in answer.

"Hey sarge, glad you made it," another robot trotted up beside J-47. Skyla could see a few other robots milling about, and she recognised them as the ones who'd beaten Drako"s gang on Eudora. The Galactic Rangers, she believed they were called.

"What"s our status?" Ratchet asked, starting to plug commands into the terminal beside Aphelion that would fix her up in no time. He added a new coat of paint too, because he knew Aphelion would like that.

Then he noticed that neither robot was talking and he looked up expectantly. The two rangers suddenly looked very awkward and were looking at the floor, fidgeting acutely. They began nudging each other as his eyebrow rose,

"You tell him."

"No, you tell him," they whispered loudly between them.

"Guys, what"s going on?" Ratchet asked with a small sigh.

"Thing is, sarge..._somebody_..." one robot began.

"Meaning this bucket of bolts," the other said, pointing to his friend.

"No, _this_ bucket of bolts forgot to open the plasma conduits..."

"After our warp jump, so now..."

"They"ve overheated and we need to wait..."

"Around 40 minutes for them to cool off or..."

"This whole ship will explode," they finished dramatically. Ratchet rolled his eyes,

"Who"s really responsible for this?"

"He is!" the robots exclaimed, pointing at each other. There was a muffled laugh and Ratchet glanced over at Skyla who was struggling to keep a straight face. Maia looked to be in similar situation, her mouth covered by her hand with her eyes doing the actual laughing.

"40 minutes you say?" Ratchet clarified.

"That"s right sarge, 40 minutes."

"Then it's back to Kerwan, safe and sound!" the robots looked at Ratchet expectantly. The sandy Lombax frowned at them and watched as the robots optic sensors dimmed and they began to look worried.

"We're sorry sarge," one of them mumbled apologetically.

"Yeah, real sorry sarge," the other hastened to add. Ratchet continued to frown at them for a moment before his face relaxed into an exasperated smile,

"Alright then, if you really are sorry." The ranger"s faces lit up again,

"We are, sarge, we are," they cried in unison.

"Good, then I expect you to be scanning for any hostile activity over the next 40 minutes...and you can express just how sorry you are by being on mess hall duty for the next 24 hours. Dismissed," Ratchet declared. The robot"s faces turned to mild confusion and they glanced at each other.

"Is there a problem?" asked Ratchet.

"No, sarge, not at all," they answered hastily.

"Then why are you still here?" Ratchet's eyebrows rose inquisitively. The two robots stumbled over each other,

"We're not, sarge!"

"We've, er...vanished!" The two Galactic Rangers turned and staggered away as quickly as they could, almost tripping over their own feet in their haste. Ratchet glanced at Skyla and he rolled his eyes,

"Rangers, huh," he muttered and Skyla gave him a lopsided smile.

"Do you girls want a tour?" the sandy Lombax asked.

"Ratchet, I think it would be best if we provided them with more substantial clothing and allowed them the chance to wash," Clank piped up.

"Oh yeah, I forgot...sorry," Ratchet murmured, "you girls can use my bathroom if you like, it's got a shower and everything. And I'll try and find some other clothes for you..."

"Oh, a shower would be _heaven_," Maia said with a wistful sigh. Skyla laughed,

"Yeah alright, sounds good to me." Ratchet led them through the main hangar and into the side tunnel that led to his quarters. Clank stayed behind to see to Aphelion but promised he'd join in on the tour.

The trio arrived at Ratchet's quarters and Skyla looked around in mild interest. To their right were two sets of bunk beds against the wall with a couple of posters of people Skyla took to be celebrities. The centre of the room was mostly taken up by sofas surrounding a very large holo-screen with what looked like several game consoles spread out before it.

"Yeah, uh...I quite like holo-vid games," Ratchet muttered with just a hint of embarrassment. Skyla hid her grin.

"What's that?" Maia asked, pointing a delicate finger to the left. Part of the room had been converted into a sort of jungle habitat behind bars, complete with vines, boulders and large bamboo plants.

"That is...a long story, for another time," Ratchet answered vaguely with the ghost of a smile. Then he indicated a door to the right, in between the bunk beds.

"This is the bathroom," he said as he pressed a button and the door slid open. They all went in. It was medium in size, with a large shower set against the wall with a toilet, small bathtub and sink too, a wide mirror set above it.

"Soap and shower stuff is in the top drawer," Ratchet pointed to the counter next to the sink, "and there are clean towels on that rack. I'll bring you both some clothes. Call me if you need anything else."

"Thank you, Ratchet," Maia smiled and he nodded in acknowledgement before leaving. The Cazar gestured the shower,

"After you, dear." Skyla shook her head,

"No, no, you're the one who wants it more."

"Yes, so I'll take longer. You grab the hot water while you can," Maia insisted. Not in the mood for arguing, Skyla gave in and obediently stepped into the cubicle, stripping off her clothes as she did. Maia had seen her naked many times before so it was no big deal for either of them. After carefully removing her flower bracelet and setting it aside, Skyla took the soap and shampoo Maia offered her and turned on the shower.

Instantly she was engulfed by a glorious rush of hot water that pounded into her fur, driving out the dust and dirt and blood. Skyla sighed in contentment and stood under the flow for a full minute before starting to properly scrub. Maia wasn't the only one who enjoyed a good shower.

"How did you sleep last night?" Maia's voice drifted over the cubicle walls. Skyla knew immediately what she was getting at. Maia would never ask a blatantly nosey question, she was far more subtle. Still, Skyla knew her well enough.

"I'm sorry," she said, "did we wake you?"

"Only once," Maia admitted, "but it was no worry. I'm glad you two got the chance to talk." Skyla smiled as she began massaging the shampoo into her scalp.

"Me too...how much did you hear?"

"Oh, not a lot. Nothing major, I was half asleep. I heard you laughing, though, it was lovely," Maia told her.

"Mm," Skyla mumbled, ducking her head under the shower to rinse the suds from her hair. At that moment there was a knock on the door and she heard it slide open and voices she took to be Maia's and Ratchet's. Then the door closed again.

"Ratchet and Clank have been so good to us," Maia mused aloud after a while. Skyla snorted, spraying water from her nose,

"They did save my life...our lives...more than once." Maia made a noise of agreement,

"True. How do you think we can ever repay them?" Skyla's expression turned thoughtful as she began to think. Maia was right. Ratchet and Clank had done so much for them, come to her rescue, saved both their lives...and they had done what in return? Nothing. Unless you counted getting _into_ life threatening situations, which Skyla was sure didn't make the "thank you" list.

"I don't know," she confessed eventually. There was a moment of thoughtful silence as the grey Lombax finished her shower and stepped out, into the towel which Maia held out for her.

"Thanks," Skyla murmured, grateful for the warmth of the wool that made her feel just like a baby lamb. Towels at the facility were never this fluffy. Maia took her turn in the shower as Skyla began rubbing herself dry.

"Ratchet's such a lovely guy," Maia announced out of the blue from the cubicle. Skyla's eyebrows rose and fell in surprise,

"Yes...he is," she muttered in reply, but her mind turned suspicious at her friends tone. It sounded innocent..._too _innocent. What was Maia getting at? The Cazar seemed to notice her suspicion so cut to the chase.

"We've never had '_the boy talk',_ have we?" Skyla's eyes widened in shock and she dropped the clothes she'd been holding.

"_Maia_!" she exclaimed, scrambling to pick up and pull on the fresh underwear.

"Well, we haven't," Maia answered, a distinct smile to her voice. Skyla spluttered briefly for a minute, temporarily lost for words as she buckled the belt on her trousers.

"Yes, but, but...there was no need, _is _no need for t-that," she stuttered. She could just sense Maia's knowing grin.

"Oh really?" the Cazar asked, a questioning and somewhat suggestive tone to her voice.

"Really, Maia," Skyla confirmed as firmly as possible, "what about you and Clank?" she asked, seeking to turn the tables but perhaps only driving Maia's point home.

"What about me and Clank?" Maia laughed, "he's a robot, Skyla."

"Yeah, but..." Skyla trailed off and gave up. Tugging her top down around her she looked at herself in the mirror. It was a military uniform, of a sort, brown in colour with very few additional accents. It would do. Grabbing a smaller towel she began drying her hair, trying to drive away the disordered thoughts that Maia's words had brought on. She knew Maia would never say something like that if there was no truth to it, and it was true that Maia and Skyla had never had '_the boy talk_' as she put it. At the facility, there hadn't been any point. Everyone at the facility was like close family, and thoughts of...making things closer were very rarely enacted. Every now and again you'd get slaves who took things a bit too far and ended up having...unfortunate accidents. Baen did not like his possessions mingling in such a way without his concession. So the slaves were close, but not _that_ close. And until recently, Skyla hardly ever thought about finding someone. She'd always thought that it would be her, Maia and Jaymz forever, that they would all grow old and die together, inside or outside the facility. But now...things had changed, and she wasn't prepared for them. It wasn't fair.

There was a burst of steam as the cubicle door opened and Maia stepped out, quickly wrapping herself in a towel. Skyla looked at her through the mirror while her friend gazed solemnly back.

Maia instantly saw the confusion in Skyla's and felt her heart strings tug. She knew that look, even if she'd thought she'd never see it in Skyla. It was the look of a creature experiencing confusion of a very acute and specific kind...for the first time. Maia had never really talked to Skyla about finding someone special because...she'd thought that neither of them ever would. Sure, she'd explained where babies came from and what marriage was etc, but she'd never gone in depth about the deeper feelings involved. And now...Skyla looked lost and painfully exposed.

"It's ok, Sky," Maia murmured, putting as much warmth and understanding into her words as she could. That wasn't a throwaway phrase or simple statement, it was a promise. A promise that offered reassurance to the Lombax, reassurance that everything was going to be alright.

"I know," Skyla replied eventually, taking comfort from the look in Maia's eyes. Maia was here with her now, and she wasn't going anywhere. She would help Skyla see everything through. Maia would be there for her, always.

"That outfit suits you," the Cazar said as she began rubbing herself down and pulling on the other pile of clothes.

"Mm," was all Skyla said. When the Cazar was dressed she checked herself in the mirror briefly before picking up a hairbrush from beside the sink. She held it up to Skyla with a questioning look and the grey Lombax nodded. Maia moved around her friend and began brushing the grey locks in gentle, rhythmic strokes.

Several minutes passed with no communication between the friends, only the dripping of the shower and noise of the brush penetrating the quiet. Maia's hands were gentle and every knot and tangle succumbed easily to her touch and soon enough, Skyla's hair was neatly brushed. Maia then rested her chin on Skyla's shoulder, looking at her friend through the misty mirror. Their forms were slightly distorted by the condensation, but they were still very much themselves.

"You are so beautiful," Maia murmured softly to her friend. Skyla smiled as the comment pierced the fog in her mind and soothed her like a balm,

"So are you..." she returned, "and you'll make a beautiful bride someday." Maia laughed,

"And you'll be bridesmaid, obviously." Skyla looked at her friend, at the love and kindness that dwelt in her eyes. Maia was Skyla's best friend in the galaxy, an irreplaceable companion. Maia was and always had been Skyla's rock, from the moment they'd met, and she would be for the times ahead. Maia was the mother Skyla had been robbed of, so many years ago. Maia was everything Skyla could want for in a friend, and more.

"You deserve a prince," she murmured to the Cazar. Maia laughed again,

"Here's hoping. You never know, maybe there is a royal prince out there with my name on him," she joked.

"I'm sure there is," Skyla assured her.

"Mm, likewise for you, little one...though he may not be a prince by name," Maia said ominously. Skyla's brow furrowed in confusion once again. The Cazar squeezed her shoulders gently,

"It's ok, Sky," she repeated and after a few seconds the grey Lombax's mouth twitched into a small smile. Maia smiled her own smile and patted Skyla on the back once,

"Go on, Ratchet's waiting."

"I'll wait for you," Skyla said.

"No, no, it's fine. I'll only be a minute," Maia insisted, starting to run the brush through her own hair. Skyla hesitated briefly before she left the bathroom.

Ratchet looked up as the bathroom door opened and his eyebrows rose in mild surprise as he registered the Lombax that walked out. Wearing a military uniform with clean fur, brushed hair and no traces of blood or dirt, Skyla looked, well...clean! It wasn't that she'd been really dirty before, but her fur did seem to be a shade lighter and looked almost silver in tone. And the uniform really suited her too, complimenting her figure perfectly as it hugged her slender waist...

"You alright?" Skyla asked and Ratchet blinked as he realised he'd been staring. He cleared his throat,

"Yeah, fine," he replied, his voice slightly deeper than normal and he cleared his throat again, "it suits you, the uniform," he added. Skyla smiled and tugged nervously on a lock of hair,

"Thanks," she muttered, her gaze jumping all over his face but never meeting his eyes. Ratchet felt the situation grow distinctly awkward and he glanced at the door behind her to stop himself from staring again.

"Oh, Maia's just brushing her hair," Skyla said in answer to his questioning look. Ratchet nodded and swallowed. As if on cue, the door opened and Maia stepped out, wearing an identical uniform to Skyla with her hair brushed neatly and tucked behind her ears. She beamed at Ratchet,

"Thank you so much for that, Ratchet. I can't tell you how nice it is to feel clean again. And thanks for the clothes too, they're perfect."

"No problem, any time," the sandy Lombax answered with a smile.

"Sky, you left this in the bathroom," Maia said, holding up the pile of clothes in her hands, specifically indicating the flower bracelet lying on top. Skyla picked it up, extremely grateful that Maia had remembered it. She slipped it onto her wrist,

"Thanks." She would have been distraught if she'd lost that, her last link to the Enyd...

"What should I do with the rest?" Maia asked Ratchet.

"Oh, just dump them in the bin over there...unless you want to keep any more of it," he told them.

"Nah, we've got all we need," Maia said as she dumped the pile into the bin Ratchet pointed out.

"I spoke to the crew while you guys were in there," Ratchet said, waving a device Skyla took to be a communication gizmo, "they said that we'll be back to Kerwan in around 20 minutes. Apparently, the Mayor and some senior military officials want to meet here around 5 o'clock to make plans for the next 48 hours. Until then, we've been told to stay put on the Phoenix. So, how would you girls like a tour?" Ratchet asked, clapping his hands together in anticipation. The two friends glanced at each other briefly,

"Lead the way, Ratchet," Skyla answered with a smile and a shrug.

* * *

><p>They met up with Clank again and spent the next few hours trailing around the Phoenix, Ratchet and Clank taking time to explain every room and even adding in any funny events that had happened in them. Both girls were impressed by how many rooms there were in the ship, and the variety of things they were used for. There was Ratchet's quarters and the quarters of other crew members including a whole room for recharging any tired out Galactic Rangers. The Ready Room was for meetings and had several screens and a long table, the perfect place for strategizing. There was even a sauna.<p>

"You've got to be kidding me," Skyla said as she looked in on the tiled room.

"Nope, it's perfect for relaxing, just make sure you don't go in with any robots...they have a special setting that cranks up the temperature to 1000 degrees Celsius. You'd be fried before you could say chicken," Ratchet explained seriously, then laughed at the look Skyla gave him.

"It is nice to use after a full working day," Clank told Maia who nodded in agreement.

"Though 1000 degrees is perhaps too hot for me," the Cazar mused with a smile.

The Engineering Room seriously impressed Skyla, as she'd never seen anything like it before. They went into warp while there and her eyes lit up as she saw the main reactor positively throbbing with energy, emitting a bright blue light of raw power. Ratchet hid a smile as he answered question after question about the ship and its structure. Skyla clearly had a limited knowledge of such things, but he was more than happy to enlighten her. It was in her Lombax nature to be curious, anyway. The VR Deck was met with a similar delight by the young grey Lombax.

"So you can kick the hell out of dummies for training purposes?" she asked Ratchet as he demonstrated taking out two score of dummies with just his wrench in under 30 seconds.

"Yeah, it's great fun," he told her, smashing in the bodice of the last dummy, "you should try it sometime," he said with a wink. Skyla gave him a sly grin,

"I think I prefer proper competition...rather than mindless dummies armed with sticks." Ratchet laughed at this and Maia simply rolled her eyes.

"I have never seen the appeal of breaking objects, even for training purposes, as you put it," Clank announced.

"My sentiment exactly, Clank," Maia agreed, "it just makes a mess." Ratchet and Skyla exchanged looks and shrugged. Some creatures just didn't get it...

They next visited the Mess hall and Kitchens where the organic crew members would eat and the group stopped there for lunch. Skyla and Maia were amazed and excited at the diversity of foods available and Ratchet was at first confused by their enthusiasm.

"You've never had a hamburger?" he asked Skyla incredulously. The grey Lombax shook her head briefly before getting completely distracted by the meat in a bun which she loved from first taste.

"The food at the facility isn't the most...varied," Maia explained, resisting the urge to remind Skyla of her table manners. She herself was having trouble not to toss aside her knife and fork and use her hands as shovels on the fresh salad Clank had ordered for her, with actual beetroots and cucumbers and even Marcadian lettuce leaves! Ratchet looked from the Cazar to the Lombax and back again. He suppose he should have guessed that they wouldn't have eaten much...but never having a hamburger? It was the simplest thing to him, yet until now, it was something Skyla had never experienced.

"Right," he said, his mind made up, "I'm going to talk to the chef about having a tasting session." The look on the girls faces was enough to make him want to laugh and cry at the same time and he felt a flare of anger towards the one who'd kept them enslaved. They would pay for it, by hell they would.

For the next hour or so, Ratchet had the girl's sample each and every dish he could think of that the kitchen could provide. They ordered only snippets of each meal so they wouldn't fill up too fast, but it was hard for them to pace themselves, especially when Maia discovered pizza.

"This stuff is incredible!" she announced in a very un-Maia-like fashion, with her mouth full and cheeks bulging. Skyla looked up from her spaghetti Bolognese portion to laugh at Maia's expression before digging back into the meatballs in sauce. Pizza was quickly usurped from Maia's favourite food list when desserts came around and she tasted chocolate fudge cake for the first time.

"I'm in _heaven_," she said, a slight moan to her voice as she spooned mouthful after mouthful of the stuff between her lips. Skyla, meanwhile, had discovered an array of foods that all scrambled for the place of favourite. Hamburgers were definitely up there, but so were Veldin style chicken chow mein, pizza and Aquatos finger-fish with chips. But when it came to desserts, there was only one winner – treacle tart.

"This is...amazing," she told Ratchet, her voice filled with awe as she shovelled another spoonful of the stuff into her mouth. Ratchet laughed, absolutely thrilled by both girls reactions to the feast,

"I'm glad you think so, it's one of my favourites too," he told her, but he didn't think she heard.

When they were finally full, Skyla sat back, belly bulging slightly,

"Right, that's it...I can die happy," she announced contentedly. Maia licked her fork clean and set it neatly on her scraped plate.

"Me too," she agreed, then caught sight of Skyla's face which was plastered slightly with different foods. Her mouth twitched, no doubt her own face was in a similar state. The Cazar looked at Ratchet,

"Where's the nearest bathroom, please?" The sandy Lombax's expression turned worried,

"Are you alright? Do you feel sick?" he asked, eyes full of concern.

"No, I'm fine. That was...wonderful, thank you. No, I was thinking about...cleaning up a little," Maia told him, gesturing herself and Skyla with a smile. The concern left Ratchet's face,

"Oh yeah," he glanced at Skyla and a smile darted across his lips, "that's fine. Follow me." The two girls got up and walked (slowly) after Ratchet who showed them to another bathroom, a public one. The Cazar splashed her face with water, rinsing all the remnants of the meal from her face. Skyla looked like she was about to fall asleep and Maia flicked water at her playfully,

"Wake up, little one." The Lombax shook her head and blinked blearily,

"Hm? Oh, right." She obediently wet her own face with water, rubbing the tomato stains from her cheeks.

"It's a miracle we didn't get any on our clothes," Maia muttered, drying her face with a towel. Skyla made a noise of agreement before drying her own face, feeling a lot more alert now.

After that, they continued the tour, visiting the Observation lounge which was the spot for social gatherings for the crew. There was also a Sickbay for organic and non-organic beings, and while there, Clank found the girls anti-indigestion tablets which they took gratefully.

"Heaven knows I've never eaten that much before," Maia said after she'd gulped down the pill. Ratchet frowned slightly at this but made no comment. They then visited the Brig which was for misbehaving crew members (Ratchet joked). But where Skyla had been impressed with the VR Deck, Maia was most impressed by the Trophy room,

"You collected all these?" she asked in surprise, looking at the walls that were lined with shelves overflowing with trophies and awards.

"Yeah, but most of them are junk. The special ones I keep back in my apartment," Ratchet said dismissively. Skyla noticed one trophy near them and read out the label,

"Good Morning, Metropolis - Kerwan's Top Magazine - Most Eligible Bachelor of the Year Award." Ratchet hid a blush and tried to play it down,

"Yeah, well..."

"2nd place," Skyla finished, her mouth twitching as she struggled not to burst out laughing. Ratchet pulled a face, his tail twitching,

"I was beaten by a fat Rilgarian," he said.

"With gold teeth and bad breath, if I remember correctly," Clank added and Skyla choked. Maia thumped her friend on the back,

"Their mistake, Ratchet," the Cazar said sweetly. Skyla screwed her eyes shut against the tears of laughter that threatened to fall. Maia was quick to pull her from the room.

They then made their way back into the main hangar where Skyla saw several arm robots working on Aphelion. They looked like they were making good progress and the ship looked to be in almost peak condition. Ratchet led them over to what looked like a vendor.

"This is the Gadgetron Weapons vendor...it's got all my old stuff I used to fight with when we lived here."

"You lived here?" Skyla asked.

"Only for a while," Ratchet told her and moved over to another vendor.

"And this is the Gadgetron Armour vendor...but I don't use any of it any more since I've got upgrades since then," he explained.

The last room they visited was the Bridge, where they travelled in a turbo lift from the Hangar. As they stepped out, Skyla's eyes widened in appreciation as she took in her surroundings. They stood at the top of a platform that extended in front of them, a large chair set at its tip where Skyla presumed the Captain would sit. Ramps led down either side of them, leading to the front of the Bridge where consoles were laid out before the largest screen Skyla had ever seen, it took up the whole wall! They weren't in warp anymore and practically the whole screen was taken up by a single large planet, Kerwan.

"Welcome to the Bridge," Ratchet announced with a flourish of his hand.

"Hey sarge, great timing! The Mayor and the others will be here any minute," called a robot from one of the terminals. Skyla's eyebrows rose in mild surprise. It was 5 o'clock already?

"Thanks, G-13. Is the Ready Room ready?" Ratchet asked.

"Um...it should be," the robot answered uncertainly.

"Go check that it is...Sasha will kill me if she thinks I've been messing up her ship." The Ranger obediently scurried away. Ratchet walked over and sat down in the Captain's chair.

"So...is this _your_ ship, then?" came a voice and he turned to see Skyla by his shoulder, looking around the place.

"Yeah, in a way. Sasha used to be Captain...but then she became the Mayor so I'm the one who's officially in charge of the Phoenix. I'm hardly ever here, though, so the Rangers look after her for me," Ratchet explained.

"You know the Mayor?" Maia asked curiously from his other shoulder.

"Yeah, we worked together in the past. She's a Cazar, and her dad's the Galactic President," replied Ratchet.

"Whoa, you've got friends in high places," Skyla thought aloud.

"They do come in handy when I get in trouble," Ratchet told her with a sly smile.

"And how often is that?" Skyla asked, an eyebrow delicately arching into a questioning look.

"Too often, some might say," Ratchet answered with an air of mischief as he winked at her. Skyla's eyes narrowed slightly but she was smiling. Then she caught sight of Kerwan again,

"So this is Kerwan?" she asked, starting to move away from the Captain's chair.

"The one and only," Ratchet answered, watching her as she went down the ramps and up to the main screen. Skyla looked out with wide eyes. From what she could see, Kerwan was a very active planet as ships of all shapes and sizes were entering and exiting the atmosphere like bees to and from a hive. The planet itself was green in colour, with banks of clouds visible over the surface, as well as patches of blue where there were enormous lakes or small seas. Kerwan. It looked so big and full of life and...welcoming. It was no wonder Ratchet lived here, she hadn't even been to the surface but already she could see it had everything you needed for a comfortable life.

"It's so perfect," she murmured to herself.

"Incoming transport, sarge, direct from the Mayor's office," a robot announced and Skyla looked up as several figures materialised to the side. The Mayor and the officials were here and her heart leapt at what their arrival meant. Now was the time to focus, the time to plan, the time to get help and free her friends...and bring Baen _down._


	23. What we know, what we do

"Ratchet!" cried one of the figures and bounded towards the sandy Lombax who was coming down the ramp. Skyla watched in vague amusement as they pulled the Lombax into a fierce bear hug. Ratchet wobbled dangerously but managed to retain his balance, patting the figure on the back awkwardly as he smiled.

"Whoops, sorry," the figure drew back and Skyla got a good look at them. She was a Cazar, in her mid twenties by the looks of things, and wore an official looking purple uniform with yellow trimmings. She had strong facial features and bold blue eyes, with her hair held off her face by a yellow hair band. Skyla immediately came to the conclusion that, while she was pretty, Maia was prettier.

"I've been so worried about you," the Cazar exclaimed and Ratchet laughed.

"I'm fine, Sasha, we all are," he told her. The Cazar looked down at Clank who'd just appeared by Ratchet's side.

"Good to see you, Clank," she beamed at the robot.

"Likewise, Sasha. I hope we find you well?" Clank replied with a cordial smile.

"Oh, much better now that the galaxy's favourite Lombax is safe," the Cazar answered with a smile at Ratchet who laughed again, his eyes flicking over to Skyla. The Cazar didn't notice, however, as Maia had just joined Ratchet.

"You must be the Cazar from the escape pod." Maia smiled and stuck out her hand,

"Yes, that's me. I'm Maia, nice to meet you."

"Sasha Phyronix, Mayor of Metropolis," the other Cazar stated, shaking her hand warmly, "I'm sorry I couldn't meet you earlier myself, I was a little overloaded with work."

"That's alright, I was well looked after," Maia answered with a smile sent in Ratchet and Clank's direction.

"Glad to hear it," the Mayor then turned to Ratchet with a mock serious expression, "and speaking of being well looked after, what's this about overheated warp engines? Have you been mistreating my ship?"

"That wasn't my fault and technically, she's not your ship anymore," Ratchet pointed out, then added an exasperated smile, "the Phoenix is fine, Sasha." The Cazar"s lips pursed,

"She may not be my ship any more, but I still care about her...deeply."

"Miss Phyronix, we have a schedule to stick to," a voice butted in and Skyla looked over at the speaker. He was another Cazar, around his late thirties, with neatly combed hair, a tidy uniform similar to the Mayor's and spectacles that balanced precariously on his nose.

"Yes, you're right Adryan," Sasha agreed, then glanced at Ratchet, "can we use the Ready Room?"

"Sure, it's all prepared," Ratchet told her.

"Great, I'll introduce everyone when we get there," Sasha gestured the remaining figures that'd appeared with her. Skyla counted 7 of them including the prim Cazar, with 4 Kerwanians and a female Novalian.

"Hold on, there's someone I want you to meet first," Ratchet said and Sasha paused. The sandy Lombax looked at Skyla and she took it as her cue. Moving forward, she stood by Ratchet as eyes turned on her. She smiled as brightly as she could,

"I'm Skyla, nice to meet you all." She received slightly shocked looks in reply.

"Oh my gosh," Sasha's eyes widened, "so you _are_ a Lombax."

"Yes, I am," Skyla confirmed with a wry smile.

"Well Ratchet, looks like your claim to fame has been taken down a notch," joked one of the Kerwanians, a tall, slightly lanky man with a mop of blond hair and sparkling brown eyes.

"I never wanted the title of 'Last Lombax in the Universe' anyway, Rojerz," Ratchet answered back with a good natured smile.

"Who would?" piped up another Kerwanian, significantly dwarfed by those around her, "it's always nice to know you're not alone," she smiled and Skyla couldn't help but warm to her instantly.

"Right you are, B," muttered the Novalian, a distinct aura of one heavily involved in the military hanging over her like a cloak, confirmed by the uniform she wore and the steel glint in her eyes.

"Miss Phyronix, we really must be getting on. Time is of the essence," insisted the male Cazar. Sasha nodded,

"Of course. Everyone, this way."

The group exited the Bridge and boarded the turbo-lift which was thankfully big enough to hold them all. Skyla found herself standing next to the small Kerwanian who'd spoken up. She wore smart-casual office clothes with chestnut hair held back by a large clip, and she carried a large briefcase that seemed to make her look even more petit. She beamed at Skyla and stuck out her free hand,

"Hi, I'm Bethya, the Mayor's Personal Assistant."

"Skyla, nice to meet you," the grey Lombax shook the offered hand.

"I'm so glad you got off Sarathos ok," the Kerwanian gave a small shudder, "that planet is a nasty piece of work."

"We nearly didn't," Skyla told her.

"Oh dear!" Bethya's eyes widened, then she smiled, "but you're here now and that's what matters." Her smile was so infectious that Skyla couldn't help but return it. Bethya was the sort of person you couldn't help but like on the spot as they exuded such an open, friendly attitude. There weren't many people like that at the facility.

When they arrived at the Ready Room, Sasha immediately took the seat at the head of the long table, the others beginning to sit around her. Skyla and Maia hung back, unsure of what to do. Ratchet noticed their hesitation and beckoned to Skyla,

"Here, sit by me," he patted the empty seat to his left, "you're as much a part of this as I am." Skyla obligingly sat beside him, Maia taking the seat to her own left. Clank suddenly appeared beside Maia,

"Do you mind if I sit next to you?" The Cazar smiled,

"Of course not, Clank." The small robot hopped onto the chair to Maia's left and Skyla nearly laughed out loud. His head barely cleared the table top, his green optic sensors just visible over the surface.

"Do you...want me to get you a cushion, Clank?" Maia offered with a suppressed smile.

"No, I am quite alright thank you Maia," the robot replied, reaching under his seat and pulling a lever that elevated his chair a few inches. Skyla turned away before he caught her smiling, instead looking around the table. There were 10 of them seated, with one of the Kerwanians standing by the door. He was at least 7ft tall and had the build of an ox. A bodyguard, Skyla thought.

Sasha sat at the head, flicking through a folder Bethya had handed her. To her right sat the prim Cazar, Adryan, and then the Kerwanian Ratchet had called Rojerz. Next to him was another Kerwanian, a big, muscular man with a no-nonsense look to his features. The female Novalian sat to his right and caught Skyla's eye. The blue skinned woman nodded curtly and offered a brief smile before focusing on the Mayor. Skyla's stomach fluttered ever so slightly. She had nothing against the Novalians as a race, there were Novalian slaves at the facility she was well acquainted with. But at the back of her mind, there was always the reminder that _he_ was a Novalian, and that had forever tarnished her view of their race.

"Right..." muttered a voice and Skyla turned to Sasha who'd pulled out a file and had before her a screen that lit up. Sasha's eyes flicked over it briefly before glancing up at those gathered.

"Before we begin, let's have a quick round of introductions for those of you who don't know each other. To my right is Adryan Tean, my chief advisor. Then we have Sergeant Rojerz, Captain Pykard and Lieutenant Blak of the Galactic Authorities, Kerwan Military Division. To my left is Bethya, my irreplaceable PA, Ratchet, who I'm sure you all know, Skyla, Maia and Clank, also known as Secret Agent Clank," the Cazar added with a twinkle in her eye.

"Just Clank, thank you," the robot corrected, but he was smiling. Skyla looked at him in mild disbelief, as did Maia. Secret Agent Clank? Where did _that_ come from? She turned to Ratchet with a questioning look.

"Don't ask," Ratchet answered with a small groan which only increased Skyla's curiosity, but Sasha was preparing to go on.

"We're here to talk about this facility Maia has told us of and discuss what should be done. For those of you who aren't totally clued up, I'll fill you in." Sasha tapped the screen a few times and a hologram appeared in front of her. With a few more taps she had enlarged it considerably and set it at the centre of the table for all to see while retaining the pad in her hands.

"This," the Mayor gestured the hologram, "is a 3D Model of a facility on Florana. At least, it's what we've been able to build from Maia's descriptions." Skyla regarded the hologram and realised she was right. It was a basic but recognisable image of the facility, complete with all the major rooms and corridors.

"Bethya very kindly filled in the gaps using a fair amount of logical guesswork," Sasha went on, then glanced at Skyla and Maia, "does this seem accurate to you?" The two friends leaned forward to study the hologram. Skyla pulled up a mental image of the facility and went through it floor by floor. It was practically faultless, except there were a few details missing. For example, the roof stopped above the hydroponics chamber when it actually spread out over the entire facility. Skyla pointed this out to Sasha who handed the pad to Bethya who began tapping away.

"Like this?" she asked and the image faded and reappeared, now with added roof space.

"Yes, and there's a turbo lift that comes out here," Skyla pointed with her finger and a moment later the lift shaft extended to the top. She nodded,

"That's it." Skyla sat down and glanced at Maia,

"Well done," she murmured. The Cazar smiled,

"Thank you, I tried."

"The facility is a genetics facility," Sasha continued, reading from the tablet, "which genetically alters the local wildlife for production and gain." She raised an eyebrow at the two girls,

"I presume this is done illegally as there's no genetics facility registered on Florana." Skyla and Maia nodded.

"The facility uses," Sasha frowned, "slave labour."

"Slaves?" exclaimed Rojerz. Skyla glanced at Maia and a silent agreement passed between them.

"Yes, slaves," Maia confirmed, "and, until recently, myself and Skyla were part of the slave work force."

"You were kept as a _slave_?" Lieutenant Blak asked Skyla, her eyes narrowed and disbelieving. The grey Lombax nodded. The Lieutenant let loose a very rude word.

"Language, Lieutenant," the Captain snapped.

"Sorry, sir," the Novalian apologised, then rephrased curtly, "that's despicable."

"Agreed. It also says here that there is a work force comprised of guards," Sasha's brow furrowed, "but it says there are at least 100 hundred of them. Surely that's too much for a simple genetics facility?"

"It's not just a genetics facility," Maia explained, "it's also a...museum, of a sort."

"A museum? Is that anything to do with what it says about Black Market Trade?" Sasha asked. Maia nodded,

"Yes. There are many rare objects, creatures and plants kept in the facility for private observation, some of which the products are sold on the black market trade."

"Please elaborate. What kind of rare objects, creatures and plants?" enquired Adryan.

"For example, there is a medallion of Extinctanium, a Hoven Striped Flamingo and a Nayala flower." There were looks of surprise all around at Maia's words. Rojerz gave the Cazar a baffled look,

"A Hoven Striped Flamingo? Are you sure? They were declared extinct years ago."

"I am certain," Maia replied, but the looks of surprise and doubt remained. Skyla decided to support her friend as best as she could.

"And me," she spoke up and the attention turned on her. She swallowed briefly before going on, "I was kept as a...rare creature," she told them as firmly as possible, but she felt sure her voice was too quiet.

"You?" Rojerz exclaimed. Skyla felt a hand on her arm and she turned to see Ratchet looking at her with a frown.

"What do you mean?" he asked.

"I mean...I was kept at the facility as a rare creature," Skyla clarified, "being a member of a near extinct species and all." There were several cries of disgust at this.

"Order, please, order," Sasha called over them and the noise died. The Cazar regarded Skyla with a serious expression,

"If what you're saying is true, then these are very serious crimes indeed." Skyla could only nod.

"Who's responsible for them?" Sergeant Rojerz demanded. Sasha looked down at her tablet again,

"It says here the facility is run by a Novalian called Baen. Unfortunately, we know very little about him, but apparently he is better known by his business title, 'the Collector'." There was a sharp intake of breath and Skyla looked over to see Lieutenant Blak frowning heavily.

"The Collector? No, it can't be..." she muttered.

"Lieutenant?" the Captain gave her an expectant look. The Novalian glanced at him sharply before speaking.

"I know that name, though I wish I didn't. Years ago there was a Novalian called Baen who was exiled from Novalis for mass murder, his victims including 3 children under the age of 4. No-one really knows how he dodged the death penalty, but he must have had friends in high places as he got off practically scot free. Last I heard, he'd taken the name of 'the Collector' and gone off to the Polaris Galaxy. But that was years ago. Some Novalians still remember him, and there have even been efforts to track him down...but they've all disappeared mysteriously. My Uncle was one of them...some of the Collector's victims were his kids and would have been my cousins." For the briefest moment the steel in her eyes melted to reveal a deep sadness, but then it was gone and hardened to metal once again.

"I am sorry for your loss," Sasha murmured sympathetically, "and now it seems like we have a chance to bring this man to justice."

"Then count me in. I'll do anything to bring down that monster," the Lieutenant announced, her eyes flashing dangerously. Skyla just kept herself from nodding in agreement.

"While your enthusiasm is commended, Lieutenant," Adryan cleared his throat importantly, "we must first know more about this man and his facility before we decide what should be done." Rojerz gave a dry laugh,

"He's a confirmed murderer, a black market trader, a slave driver and purposely keeps rare things that should be in the hands of professionals," he gave Adryan a look, "I'd say that's enough to go on." Adryan sniffed,

"Indeed. But we must be practical and think about this logically. For example, do we even know _where_ this facility is?" Skyla was beginning to get irritated by the Cazar. He acted so superior and was clearly self-absorbed, both qualities she disliked in others. However, before she could say anything, a voice spoke up.

"I think I might be able to help with that." Skyla looked up at the table at Bethya who suddenly seemed all too aware of their scrutiny. She busied herself removing another file as she continued,

"I took the liberty of cross referencing all that Maia had said about the facility's location and found only two spots that fitted the bill." She took out another pad which she opened like a book. With a few taps another hologram appeared and was swiftly set alongside the image of the facility. Skyla recognised it at once, even though she'd never seen it before. It was a 3D model of Florana rotating at the centre of the table. Two small parts of the planet were highlighted and Bethya indicated them,

"These were the only spots in the Nabla forest, away from any civilisation and within half a mile range of a cliff edge. All I need to know is what season it is with you," the Kerwanian explained.

"Late spring," Skyla and Maia answered at the same time. Bethya beamed,

"Excellent, then it can only be this one here." She tapped the screen a few times and one of the spots faded while the other, which lay on the Northern Hemisphere, enlarged itself, pulling away from the planet.

"Does this look familiar?" Bethya asked as the image blurred into a bird's eye view of the forest, about half a mile up. Skyla and Maia studied it closely. There wasn't much to see except a long cliff edge and supposedly never-ending trees, but it was all in the detail. Skyla ran her eyes along the cliff, looking for anything familiar.

"Yes," Maia pointed, "look, Sky, isn't that the clearing we were picked up from?" The grey Lombax looked closer and saw that she was right. There was a clear dome shaped area beside the cliff edge and her instincts told her that it was the same one. Skyla nodded,

"Yes, you're right."

"Right..." Bethya plugged in a few things, "that means the facility lies somewhere...here." The image zoomed in further and an area of the forest lit up into a square. Skyla felt her heart sink quietly. It was just more trees, and she knew for a fact the facility roof lay above the tree line. But Maia wasn't ready to give up,

"Can you zoom in?" she asked Bethya. The Kerwanian slid her fingers across the screen, then frowned.

"No, I can't..." she murmured. Sasha frowned,

"But you're with the official satellite stream...you should be able to zoom in to the canopy." Bethya shook her head,

"I can't, something's blocking the sat-cam from going below 0.2 miles." Skyla's brow furrowed in confusion, then it clicked.

"It's a cloak." The others looked at her, "it's a cloak," she repeated adamantly, "that's why you can't see it."

"Are you sure?" Adryan asked sceptically. Skyla nodded,

"Positive." The prim Cazar didn't look convinced.

"It would make sense for the Collector to shield his facility," Maia backed Skyla up, "the roof is higher than the canopy, any passing ships could see it." Skyla flashed her friends a grateful smile.

"Well, that figures," Rojerz mused aloud

"Yes, but that still does not tell us enough," Adryan insisted.

"What else do you need to know?" Maia asked him calmly before Skyla had the chance to make a snappish retort. The Cazar opened his mouth but was cut across,

"Security details, if you know any," Captain Pykard announced, "the more we know of their defence, the better we can succeed if we go on the offence." Maia and Skyla exchanged looks and Maia have her friend a knowing smile,

"I think I'll leave that one to Skyla." The grey Lombax smiled and turned to the Captain,

"I can help you with that," she told him.

For the next few minutes, Skyla listed everything she knew about the facility's defence systems. As she spoke, Bethya made a note of all she said, occasionally altering the 3D Model to include cameras and computer systems. Skyla unloaded each and every detail she could remember, leaving nothing out. The cameras, the guards, the computer systems, even the materials used in the walls of the facility. It was all taken down.

Needless to say, when she was finished, there were some somewhat shocked looks in the room.

"Wow," whispered Rojerz in an almost comical manner, "you remembered _all_ that?"

"That was amazing," Ratchet murmured and Skyla hid a smile of pleasure.

"That is extremely impressive, young Lombax," the Captain stated, a pleasantly surprised look to his features.

"You're telling me," the Lieutenant exclaimed happily, "we could take those guys down blindfolded and armed with water pistols. Nice going, Skyla," the Novalian winked at the grey Lombax who offered up a hesitant smile in return.

"Yes, but we must still be practical," Adryan interjected, "and there is still to be decide what to do."

"I suggest a full strike," Lieutenant Blak answered immediately, "with that knowledge, we could be in, neutralise the guards, evacuate the workers and have the whole place under our control in an hour." The Cazar gave her a withering look,

"No..." he started to protest.

"I agree," several voices agreed at once with the Novalian, Ratchet and Sasha included. Adryan gaped at the Cazar beside him,

"You cannot be serious?" The Mayor shrugged,

"Why not? Skyla and Maia have given us more than enough information and I'm sure you'll agree that this '_Collector'_ has gone unhindered by us long enough. He must be apprehended and brought to justice, his possessions seized and those enslaved by him freed."

"Of course I agree that actions are necessary..." Adryan began but was once again cut across.

"Well then, what are we waiting for?" Rojerz clapped his hands together in anticipation, "it's been a while since I've seen strike action so bring it on, I say."

"Steady on, Rojerz," the Captain told the younger Kerwanian, but he was smiling very faintly.

"Then we are agreed that a strike is required?" Sasha asked and there were resounding "yeses" from all around.

"Excellent. Now, forgive me, but I must leave you as I've another meeting to attend. But I want to know what the strike plan is and expect a detailed report on it. You will also need to contact the Governor of Florana to inform her of what you are going to do. Is that clear?" Sasha asked as she started to pack up. The Captain nodded,

"It will be on yours and Governor Feuille's desk by the morning."

"Perfect," Sasha smiled as she, Bethya and Adryan rose to leave, the latter looking more than a little pleased to be going, "Ratchet, I'll leave you with the hologram tablet and I expect notes on the plan. You're in charge." The sandy Lombax nodded, taking the tablet from Bethya,

"Sure thing, Sasha." The Mayor smiled at Maia and Skyla,

"So sorry I have to rush off like this, but it was nice meeting you. I hope that next time we meet, you will be in the company of your friends." The two girls nodded their heads in thanks as the Cazar left the Ready Room, the ox-like Kerwanian following them out.

"That Adryan gets on my nerves," the Novalian commented with a slight sneer. Skyla made a noise of agreement.

"But isn't Bethya pretty?" Rojerz said with a grin and the Lieutenant gave him a look.

"Behave yourself, Rojerz," the Captain reprimanded him, "right then, let's plan this strike."

"Hold on," Ratchet held up a hand and looked at Skyla and Maia, "you girls don't have to stay if you don't want to. It'll mostly be military talk anyway." Skyla and Maia looked at each other. The Cazar shrugged and smile,

"I'll do whatever you want to do, Sky." The grey Lombax glanced between her friend, the military personnel and the Lombax beside her.

"Is it...ok if we stay?" she asked tentatively.

"If you like," Ratchet told her with a smile. Skyla looked at Maia who nodded,

"That's fine by me, I don't mind." Skyla smiled in satisfaction and looked expectantly at the Captain. He immediately launched into a full out strike plan that he seemed to have already decided on.

"From what he have here," he pointed to the 3D Model, "our point of entrance is clearly here..."

Skyla sat back in her chair, content with what she had contributed. Maia leaned over to her,

"We did it," she whispered excitedly. Skyla smiled,

"Not quite...but we're close."

"Everything's going to be alright," Maia added with the gentlest of smiles. Skyla squeezed her hand,

"It is if you're here."

For the next hour or so (Skyla lost track) the military personnel and Ratchet debated entry tactics and evacuation procedures. Ratchet hadn't been lying when he said it was all military talk and Skyla occasionally struggled to understand what was being said. Maia and Clank had struck up their own comfortable conversation but she was hesitant to join them lest she miss anything of the plan. Eventually, what they were talking about began to make sense in her head as the pieces slotted together.

There would be 4 teams. Team Alpha, led by Ratchet, responsible for gaining entrance, would HALO jump (though what that was, Skyla didn't know) onto the roof of the facility and bypass the turbo lift to the main entrance. Once there, they would jump the security system and open the main doors, allowing the other teams to enter. Team Beta, led by Captain Pykard, would neutralise the enemy guards, while Team Gamma, headed by Lieutenant Blak, would disable the security systems. The last team was Team Delta, with Sergeant Rojerz as leader, and their objective was to locate and evacuate the other workers through the main entrance to be picked up by waiting ships.

It seemed simple enough to Skyla. In fact...she was sure she would be able to follow it perfectly, even without military training. Her eyes widened as a thought swept upon her in a sudden wave. Why had she not voiced this before?

"I'm coming with you," she blurted aloud. The chatter stopped as they all turned to look at her.

"I beg your pardon?" the Captain asked politely, his eyebrows risen giving his face a box-like appearance. Skyla gulped slightly, a little thrown by the looks they were giving her,

"I'm going with Ratchet," she rephrased. The gathered military personnel exchanged glances. Clank and Maia had stopped talking and were watching carefully.

"Look, miss..." Sergeant Rojerz began.

"No," Ratchet cut across bluntly, looking at Skyla, "you're not coming with me." Skyla's eyes narrowed, she didn't like the directness with which he'd rejected her,

"I can help."

"You already have. You're staying here," Ratchet told her firmly.

"I can help, I want to go with you and I _am_ going with you," Skyla insisted with a hint of irritation. Ratchet gave her a look,

"Skyla, you're staying here. There is _no way_ I am letting you go down there, it's too dangerous."

"I can look after myself," Skyla retorted, then regretted her words as Ratchet looked at her pointedly.

"Oh really?" his eyes were saying, and a bolt of anger shot through Skyla at the patronisation in them. It wasn't right. Besides, who was he to tell her what to do? She may have a bad background in taking care of herself, but she wasn't completely incapable. She opened her mouth to make a cutting retort but then, from the corner of her eye she saw Maia shaking her head ever so slightly. Skyla paused. It was a warning. A warning that told her not to go down that route, it would lead to...nothing. Swallowing her indignant pride, she tried to reason with him, taking a leaf from Maia's book,

"Look, I know that place better than all of you," she looked around those gathered as she spoke, "I've managed to escape there once. I'm physically capable and I _know_ I can do it. I can help," she insisted. Ratchet sighed heavily,

"Skyla, I've said no and that's final."

"Fine then, I won't ask you," Skyla snapped and turned to the Captain, "permission to join Ratchet's team?" The Kerwanian gave her a sympathetic look which made her feel like a child,

"Young Lombax, I know what this means to you. But Ratchet's right, it is dangerous and my men can't account for you being down there when fighting breaks out." Skyla opened her mouth to politely answer back but was beaten,

"I think we should let her," the Novalian interjected, "she does know the place better than us. We could use her help." The Captain's jaw clenched,

"Don't start, Blak."

"Why not?"

"Blak..." the Captain hissed.

"I'm just saying, she could come in handy. And look at her, she has the build of an athlete and I've no doubt she's more than physically capable of handling a guard or two," the Lieutenant pressed, then gave Skyla a subtle wink to which the grey Lombax responded with a small, grateful smile. The Captain huffed,

"That's not the point..."

"Please," they looked up at Skyla who had risen to her feet. It was clear she wasn't going to get in by force, or persuasion...so she tried a different approach, "I want to go because there are those down there I consider family, and would do anything to rescue them. I made a vow to myself even before I escaped, that if I ever got out, I would be back for them. I'm not going to break that vow. I know I can do it, so please...let me." She made eye contact with each of the military personnel, purposely avoiding the eyes on her right as she knew it would be futile. Her words were met with an uncomfortable silence as she took her seat and for a moment, no-one said anything. The Captain cleared his throat,

"Young Lombax, I sympathise with you and..." Skyla regarded him intently, trying to show how much she wanted this through her eyes. The burly Kerwanian sighed,

"It's not up to me," he said simply, looking at the Lombax sitting across from him.

"I've said _no!" _cried Ratchet. Skyla looked at the sandy Lombax. He was looking at her in disbelief, "Skyla, you are _not_ going and that is final!"

"Ratchet..." she began.

"NO!" he shouted and she recoiled slightly from the anger in his voice. He sounded so...harsh. It was unlike him. Clearly he thought the same as he looked shocked for a moment, then his features softened and he looked at her with a pained expression, "can't you understand why I don't want you to go?" he murmured quietly so that only she could hear. Skyla's heart throbbed, because the answer was yes, she could see exactly why he didn't want her to go. But she was not about to break her vow, even for him, so she remained adamant,

"Can't you understand why I _want_ to go?" she whispered in reply.

"Yes, I can," Ratchet confessed, "but if you get hurt..." he shook his head, "I'll never forgive myself." Skyla resisted the urge to take his hand (they were in company, after all), but she looked at him with honest eyes.

"I won't get hurt, Ratchet. I can do this," she told him, then added "you would do the same in my place." Ratchet regarded her with a conflicted expression, but said nothing. She was right, after all. If their positions were reversed, he would want to go too. And from the look in her eyes, she had the same determination he would possess in such a situation. There would be no dissuading her from this. He sighed heavily.

"Sir?" Skyla addressed the Captain. The Kerwanian didn't look happy, but he inclined his head.

"If Ratchet is willing to take you...then you have my consent, however unwilling I am to give it." Skyla looked once again at the Lombax beside her. He was studying her seriously, brow furrowed in thought.

"Fine," he said eventually, "but I want you in my sight at_ all _times and two additional team members for your protection." Skyla bit her lip to keep from retorting, instead nodding once in thanks.

"More team members will up the stakes, Ratchet," Rojerz informed him, an eyebrow raised. Ratchet shrugged,

"We'll manage."

"I want to go too," came a voice.

"NO," cried Ratchet and Skyla at the same time. Maia held up her hand with a small smile,

"Hear me out. I don't want to throw myself into the thick of things, but I do want to help," she turned to the Captain, "I'd like to join Team Delta, please. I can help you find our friends, and they will be more ready to follow you if they see a familiar face."

"No," Skyla repeated, "no way are you going down there." Maia gave her a gentle look,

"Don't worry, Sky. I just want to make sure all out friends are evacuated safely. Then, I'll come out with them. I'm not going to stay and fight. I'm no warrior and battles are not my forté."

"Maia, you'd be safer up here. It's alright, we can do it," Ratchet assured her. Maia nodded,

"I don't doubt that you can, I'm just saying it will be easier if I go too. I can help if anyone gets lost, you'll have experienced eyes on the ground, and we'll be able to get everyone out faster." She looked questioningly at the Captain, "may I?" The Kerwanian was scowling,

"I don't like it, but that team won't be in for any action so...if Rojerz is ok with you tagging along, then that's his decision."

"Sure, you can come if you like," the younger Kerwanian told Maia with a smile, "but it'll be dangerous. Don't worry though, I'll look after you and make sure you're well defended."

"You better," Skyla growled menacingly without thinking and Rojerz laughed.

"I promise, not a hair will be harmed on her head," he assured her. The Cazar gave him a grateful smile,

"Thank you, Rojerz."

"Call me Aly," the man winked.

"Enough of the informalities, Rojerz," the Captain gave the Sergeant a look.

"Then I believe that is the strike plan and teams sorted," Lieutenant Blak announced, glancing at the tablet she'd taken from Ratchet to make notes, "that leaves only the strike date. Personally, I would rather it were sooner than later. If that slick bastard..."

"Language!"

"Sorry, Captain. If that Novalian can get away with mass murder, he's bound to have a few tricks up his sleeve. That means, the longer we leave things, the greater the chances of him catching wind of the plan."

"Agreed," the Captain muttered, "how soon can you prepare the teams?" he asked Rojerz. The Kerwanian shrugged,

"I can have them all ready by tomorrow if you like. Nearly the entire Kerwan Division is at base, and the only exceptions are those on wide patrols. It's been a slow week."

"Good. Then how does a strike set for tomorrow evening sound? We can brief the troops in the morning and I can alert the Mayor and the Governor to our plan before we set course for Florana in the evening."

"Sounds good to me," Rojerz answered with a sly smile. Skyla's eyes widened. Had she heard correctly? _Tomorrow?!_ But that was...tomorrow!

"You alright, Skyla?" asked a voice from her right and she saw Ratchet looking at her, brow furrowed in mild concern.

"Yeah, fine," she hastily replied, "it's just...tomorrow...?"

"Is that a problem?" the Lieutenant asked.

"No! It's...perfect!" Skyla announced in pleasant surprise.

"Good. Then it is agreed. The strike will be carried out under cover of darkness and we will rendezvous on the Phoenix at 1900 hours...providing that is alright with you, Ratchet?"

"That's absolutely fine. We'll be ready," the sandy Lombax replied.

"Excellent," the Captain rose, "then we will meet again tomorrow at said time in the main hangar. Now, if you'll excuse me, I've got to write all this up into a report and convince the Mayor we can do this."

"It won't be the Mayor who'll need convincing," mused Lieutenant Blak. The Kerwanian smiled very faintly,

"Indeed...wish me luck." He saluted Ratchet briefly as Lieutenant Blak closed the hologram and tucked it under her arm.

"Good night," the Novalian nodded and Rojerz gave them a wave, and then they were gone.

**Note – The character of Bethya the Kerwanian is dedicated to my good friend PenMagic. She is a fantastic writer and a loyal friend, and my life would not be the same without her smile and her fangirling over Starkid/Harry Potter/Glee/Hunger Games and everything else she loves. PenMagic, my dear, you are supermegaawesomefoxyhot, and may the odds be ever in your favour :)  
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	24. Look at the Stars

It was nearing midnight as Ratchet padded quietly through the Phoenix. There was no-one else about, as Captain Pykard and the others had gone back to Kerwan and all crew members had retired to their quarters. He entered the Observation Lounge, looking to have a cup of Breegus Nectar Tea before hitting the sack. Making his way over to the hot drinks dispenser he pressed a button and the machine whirred into action. Gripping the mug in his hands, he turned to leave, then paused.

A figure sat by the large window, their back turned to him. He knew who it was almost instinctively and smiled, going over to them without hesitation. Without saying anything, he took a seat alongside them, tucking his feet under him as he sipped his tea. Swallowing the sweet liquid he looked out of the window. The Phoenix was in orbit around Kerwan, but at the moment, the Observation Lounge faced outer space. There were no other ships in sight, or planets, just space and...the stars. Turning away from the window, Ratchet studied the figure next to him carefully.

Waves of grey locks hung about her face in a careless fashion, unhindered by any accessory or styled cut, simply naturally falling into place around her features. Her shoulders were hunched over into a relaxed position and her ears flopped ever so slightly against her skull. Her whole face was motionless as it remained tilted up, only the occasional blink of her brilliant blue eyes a sign she was awake. Her expression was one of thoughtful tranquillity, and her eyes were focused on something distant. She seemed as a statue, intricately carved into a pose that held her in perpetual contemplation of something that would forever remain out of her reach.

Ratchet continued to regard her for a while, not wishing to interrupt her thoughts and spoil the moment. Instead he watched, and waited, content to just look at her.

"There are so many of them," she murmured after a moment of silence had passed by unbroken, her voice barely above a whisper. Ratchet followed her gaze once again out of the window to where the stars gazed solemnly back at them.

"I hardly ever saw them when I was on Florana, but I know about them," she went on, "different shapes and sizes, some bright and hot, some dull and cold. Some with their own systems, some without. Some old and nearing death, some young and just starting to live," she took a breath, "all of them living in one universe. Billions and billions of them, in one space. If one of them dies, there is another to take its place. And if that one dies, there is another to take _its_ place. They go on, and will go on...forever. There will never be just one of them...or just two," she murmured. Her head slowly turned to face him and her eyes met his. Instantly, he was enveloped by the tumultuous storms contained within the blue of her eyes, laid bare before him in a moment of exposure. And what storms they were. They spoke of unimaginable pain, terrible loss and overwhelming grief. They silently howled in incomprehensible tongues, utterly confused and bewildered by all around them. He wasn't just looking at her, he was looking _into_ her. And it was heartbreaking.

Skyla was wounded, that much was clear. But how deep the wound went...he didn't know, he didn't know if he wanted to. And yet, seeing it so clearly, like a gaping hole before him, made him wonder if he would ever be able to fill it, if he would ever be able to heal her...if they would ever be able to heal each other of what they had been through.

He brought to mind her words and what she had just said. He understood her reference as clear as day and thought how best to answer. She was in the dark, and what was darkness but the absence of light?

"There might be others," he said carefully, "it's a big universe out there...there could, there _will_ be others." Skyla blinked and the light in her eyes flickered,

"I know," she sighed, her eyes slid out of the window again, a thoughtful look to them, "but where are they? Will we ever meet them?"

"I don't know," Ratchet answered softly, placing honesty over glass promises. Her shoulders fell a little lower and she looked down at her hands, fiddling with the bracelet she wore.

"You're so lucky you've met others...even if...things didn't really work out." Ratchet winced inwardly at her words. He'd often debated whether it was a good thing he'd met Angela and then Alister. On one hand, it's shown him that he wasn't alone and that there was hope for others out there. On the other hand, it had woken him to the fact that Lombaxes were near extinct and it was highly probably he was the last of his kind. And the two Lombaxes who had contradicted that fact had...gone, in one way or another, leaving him alone and perhaps more confused too. To say things didn't really work out was something of an understatement. Then again, he always reminded himself that had he not met Alister, he would have no idea who his father was. He would have lived out his life never knowing a thing about him, not even knowing what he looked like...

Suddenly, he remembered something and his hand reached into his pocket at the thought. Fishing about a bit he found what he was looking for and drew it out. He paused briefly before holding it out to Skyla.

"What's this?" she asked, sitting up straighter. She studied the object he was offering her. It looked like a pocket watch, a very old fashioned one, circular in shape and gold in colour, with carvings etched into the metal.

"Take it," Ratchet told her and she did so hesitantly, "open it." She ran her thumb across the lid, feeling the indented metal before her fingers curled around it, flicking a switch. The pocket watch flipped open, revealing its interior. On the bottom half was some sort of clockwork, possibly a complex way of keeping time, but on the top half it had a picture of...two Lombaxes.

Skyla's eyes widened and she looked closer at the picture, studying it intently. Both Lombaxes were young and male and looked to be in their late teens. The one on the right was taller and held a double ended wrench and wore a formal military style uniform. He had very light grey fur and rusty red stripes with fearless amber eyes. There was a strong, determined smile about his lips as he looked out at her, with the beginnings of a beard around his chin, showing that he was more man than boy. Skyla's gaze flicked over to the Lombax beside him and her eyebrows rose considerably. He looked just like Ratchet.

"That's my dad," Ratchet murmured quietly. Skyla glanced up at him, then back down at the picture. She didn't doubt him for a minute. They had the same colouring, the same build, the same eyes and facial features, it even looked like they had the same wrench!

"His name was Kaden, and that's Alister," Ratchet pointed to the other Lombax, "he's the one I got this from." Skyla ran a finger around the outside of the picture. It was slightly faded with age and had to have been taken several decades ago, but the picture itself was still clear. This was Ratchet's father.

"You look just like him," Skyla thought aloud. Ratchet smile, but it didn't reach his eyes,

"Thanks. I never knew him, or my mother. They died when I was very little."

"Mine too," Skyla replied, closing the pocket watch and handing it back.

"I'm sorry," Ratchet paused, "did you know them...at all?" he asked delicately. Skyla nodded,

"Yes, I remember them. They died when I was 3, but I...remember them."

"You must have a good memory," Ratchet muttered, eyes turning downcast as a slight frown fell across his features. He couldn't remember how old he'd been when his father had sent him away to save his life, certainly no more than 3. But if Skyla could still remember her parents...

Skyla saw the look in his eyes and debated revealing the truth.

"Actually, I don't," she confessed and he looked up at her, "have a good memory," she clarified at his slightly perplexed look. She hesitated briefly before continuing,

"When I was down on Eudora, I was found by the Enyd and they took me in." Ratchet looked thoughtful at this but said nothing, waiting for her to continue.

"They looked after me, healed me...in more ways than one. See, they have this ritual called a _Rínpadad_..." Briefly, Skyla described the Memory Walk and what it entailed. Ratchet's eyes widened as she spoke.

"So...you met your parents?" he asked in quiet awe. Skyla nodded once,

"Yes, I did. My mother was called Lea. She had sandy fur, a bit lighter than yours, with light brown stripes and blue eyes. My father was called Jozeff, and he had dark grey fur with black stripes and amber eyes. And that's all I know about them. I don't know how old they were, where they grew up...I think my mother had a sister but I'm not sure." There was a moment of thoughtful silence and then Ratchet asked, a little hesitantly,

"What was it like, reliving your life?" Skyla sighed and, pulling up her legs, clutched them to her chest, resting her chin on her knees.

"It was...painful," she replied honestly, "I only knew what I knew then but I can put the pieces together fairly easily. I don't know where I was born, but I lived in a house on a yellowish planet I presume was desert like. There were other Lombaxes too, other families. I don't know how many there were of us, but I know we weren't alone. I remember things like learning to talk, playing with other children, eating ice cream in the park with Mama," she hesitated as tears began to well in her eyes at the memories and she shook them off. Ratchet said nothing so she went on, feeling compelled to do so.

"I was only 3 years old when we were attacked, by Tachyon's troops, I think. I remember being so scared by the loud noises. My father went out help, leaving my mother and I to hide in the basement. I hated it down there, it was too dark. But Mama sang to me and everything was ok. Then...my house was raided and Mama put me in a crate and told me not to move, to stay put until she came back for me. She never did," Skyla choked slightly on her words and hugged her knees tighter.

"And then, I remember getting out the crate and finding my whole world in ruins. I found Mama lying in the hallway, in a pool of her own blood. I remember asking her to wake up...and then realising she never would." It was all coming out now, a torrent of words and feelings that she struggled to contain.

"I remember being taken away by two Blargs and sold as a slave for the first time, and the years I spent on Hoven. I forgot my parents when I was there, I almost forgot who I was, what I was. It was all too painful. When I was sold to Baen and arrived at the facility...I was...out of control, like a wild animal. Maia...helped calm me. She, and Jaymz," Skyla's voice broke, "they took care of me. They were always there for me, after every punishment Baen inflicted on me for a 'misdeed', they would be there. And I remember those punishments, each and every one of them. I remember escaping and Jaymz _dying_...and when I thought Maia had died too. I remember it all, now." Skyla buried her head in between her knees, frantically gulping back tears as she refused point blank to cry, opting to choke on the emotions instead.

"Sky..." she raised her head slightly at the sound of her name and met his eyes.

"I'm sorry," was all he said. In his eyes, there was no pity, or lukewarm condolences. In his eyes, there was only compassion, honesty and understanding.

She nearly crumbled right there and then under the weight of their kindness and hastily broke eye contact to prevent it happening.

"I hate that place, the facility," she blurted suddenly, her head scrabbling for anything to distract her from his melting eyes and seizing on the first thing that came to mind, "I hate it so _so _much." She froze as she realised what she'd said, and the situation she was now in. Oh, what cruel irony. She smiled a bitter smile,

"And now...I'm going back there...the one place I strived for years to escape from...I'm going right back." Her voice was heavy and she felt herself being dragged down with it as her words sank in. She was going back to the facility. Back to where she'd lived as a slave for nearly a decade, back to where all the pain stemmed from, back to where Jaymz had died. A choked sob escaped her before she could contain it and a hand clamped over her mouth. She was going back! She could hardly believe it. Although she'd always known she would return one day for the others...she'd never thought about what it would mean. It would mean returning to the place of suffering, and walking in of her own free will. Another sob tried to escape but she held it back so it spread down to her body that shook violently. She closed her eyes against the onslaught of confusion. Yes, she wanted to go back for her friends...but she didn't want to also revisit her pain. But it wasn't a one over the other decision; it was both...or neither.

Arms looped around her shoulders and she was pulled into an embrace. All at once, she was wrapped in the warmth of another body and the comfort that exuded from it in powerful waves. For a moment, she simply let it be, her body shuddering with each suppressed sob as he began rocking her gently. He shushed her like a parent would a child woken from a nightmare, and she calmed slightly at his crooning voice. Gradually, the shaking stopped, but she remained in his arms.

"It's ok," he whispered to her, his voice muffled slightly by her hair, "you don't have to go back there, Skyla, you never have to go back there again."

While she was sure his words were meant to be reassuring, they stirred something in Skyla that called to her. Shaking her head, she drew back, and the choking emotions died as she brushed them aside, stuffing them back into the box where they belonged.

"I have to," she murmured in reply, hoping he wouldn't press the subject.

"No, you don't..." Ratchet began.

"I want to," Skyla cut across, "I _need_ to."

"Why?" Ratchet cried softly. Skyla looked down. Her eyes found the bracelet she was wearing and her thoughts turned to the Enyd, the grace they had shown her...and the fate that had befallen them. She winced. It was so cruel. She'd escaped the facility, her prison...only to shoulder the responsibility for the demise of an entire village, a village of gentle, peaceful people who had done nothing to deserve such a cruel, brutal death. A death at the hands of someone not unlike the Devil himself. Anger flared in her heart and a hard look entered her eyes,

"There's something I need to do," she muttered darkly, her grief forgotten as hatred began to bubble within her. She didn't care what the official process was, she was going to make Baen _suffer_ for what he'd done to the Enyd, and friends at the facility, and her. Oh yes, he would suffer. By the time she was done with him...he'd wish he'd never been born.

"Skyla," she glanced up at Ratchet whose expression turned concerned at the raging fire in her eyes. The brilliant blue now burned with a fiery azure flame, like a super hot star preparing for a supernova that was sure to wipe out an entire system. Ratchet took her hand in his, partially surprised that it wasn't hot to touch,

"If you still want to come with us tomorrow, then that's fine," he paused and took a breath, "but...promise me you won't do anything...stupid." Skyla gave him a sharp look and made to pull her hand away, but he clung on.

"Promise me you won't let your feelings blind you," he implored her, "anger can do terrible things to people and I would hate...for you to get hurt." The fire in Skyla's eyes faded to mild confusion, then almost as quickly she seemed to freeze over, her eyes turning from fire to ice in the blink of an eye. She shook her head coldly,

"You don't understand."

"Sky, please..."

"Ratchet, you _don't_ understand," she cut across him, giving him a piercing look. Ratchet hesitated in surprise at the change in her. It was like a volcano had spewed out ice instead of fire, and the coldness was overflowing from her eyes, a torrent of unfathomable loathing and hate. Subconsciously, he wondered where it had all come from. Then his mind began to put the pieces together as he thought and he realised that all of her anger wasn't directed at some_thing_, but some_one_. He remembered what had been said in the Ready Room...about the _'Collector'._ Had he been the one to hurt her? A horrible gut wrenching sensation swept over him as his instincts told him he was onto something.

"What did he do to you?" he wondered aloud.

"You don't want to know," she mumbled, avoiding his eyes as she looked the other way. Her words struck a gong within Ratchet and his mind suddenly hardened. A curious feeling began pooling in his stomach, one of dread and anticipated hatred.

"What did he do to you?" he repeated a little louder, his grip tightening around her hand. All at once, he needed to know. He needed to know what..._who_ had wounded Skyla so badly to incite such detestation.

Skyla glanced at him and her stomach spasmed in apprehension. The look in his eyes...it was so strong and powerful, like a storm was building behind them. She knew he wouldn't react well if she told him what she'd been put through. But at the same time...there was an insistence to his voice that told her he would not let this drop if she didn't answer now. He would find out, some way or another. She swallowed and looked down again so she wouldn't have to meet his eyes,

"He...that is, Baen...has punished me in...numerous ways over the years," she murmured.

"Punished you for what?" Ratchet asked, his voice low and cold.

"Oh, many things."

"Like...?"

"Like...disrupting work, attacking the guards...trying to escape."

"How did he punish you?" Anxiety clutched Skyla's heart at the hollow tone to his voice. Hesitantly, she listed several of the 'minor' penalties she'd suffered, omitting any from her 'Top 5'. From the corner of her eye she saw Ratchet tense up at her words, his hands curling into clenched fists. Her heart fluttered nervously, part of her thrilled he was reacting in such a way at things she considered minor. It showed that he cared. She was tempted to go on and tell him about the wasp larva of the viper venom but decided against it. From the looks of it, that would send him over the edge.

"He _beat_ you?" Ratchet asked in disgusted disbelief, "with what?" Skyla shrugged,

"A whip, his hands, someone else's hands...it varied." Ratchet sucked in a breath and she just kept herself from giving him a somewhat amused look. To her, a beating was nothing. In fact, she'd often count herself lucky if Baen had her beaten rather than any other form of punishment. It made a nice change from being injected with toxic substances. A beating was usually less painful, took a shorter amount of time and was easier for Xavier to heal.

"That _bastard_," Ratchet hissed through gritted teeth. Skyla nearly laughed. Bastard was such an understatement where Baen was concerned. Demon seemed far more appropriate. Instead, she coughed and made a noise she hoped sounded like an agreement. There was a short pause and she covered her mouth to keep from smiling. She wasn't sure why, but this whole situation was suddenly extremely amusing to her. Maybe she was going mad.

"There's something you're not telling me," muttered Ratchet and Skyla looked up at him. Instantly, she realised her mistake as his eyes widened at the mirth in her gaze. He regarded her with thoughtful dread,

"What aren't you telling me?" he whispered dangerously. Skyla's heart skipped a beat and the humour fell from her face like an autumn leaf. Her throat closed up at his expression and she even started to feel afraid. She couldn't lie, he would know, but on the other hand, how could she tell the truth? At first she'd been pleased how he'd reacted...now she was worried. If he found out the truth...she wasn't sure what he would do, but she was sure it wouldn't be good. In a mild panic she shrugged and turned away from him, hoping he wouldn't press her for an answer.

No such luck. Gentle but firm fingers gripped her chin and turned her head back to him. And there they were, the two green orbs ready to trap her in their intense gaze,

"Tell me," he murmured in a low voice. It sounded more like an order than a request, and one she found difficult to refuse. Skyla held the contact, weighing up in her mind how he would react. In all honesty, he would find out sooner or later the extent to which Baen had hurt her, but did she want him to find out _now_? His eyes were willing, no _begging_ her to speak and she knew that there was no way she could avoid it now. Opening her mouth, she began to speak. And she told him. Not everything, but it was enough.

A dark cloud descended over Ratchet as she spoke and she felt her worry increase as his features took on a dangerous look, filling with rage and anger.

When she was done, she stopped and waited apprehensively for his reaction, her anxiety increasing with each passing second when he just looked at her. It felt like he was a tidal wave slowly building to a climax, on the brink of breaking over her.

"Ratchet?" her voice sounded so small next to him, like the cry of a child in the midst of a howling storm. But he heard her. She watched with wonder as the rage in his eyes melted away, the anger subsiding as he swallowed the feelings, gulping them down to simmer in his belly. He gave her a strained smile,

"I'm afraid you're going to have competition to kill him," he told her hoarsely. Skyla laughed. There was little else she could do. Her nerves were still on tenterhooks but she forced herself to relax,

"Sorry. First come, first served," she chuckled in reply, but the sound was empty and hollow. Ratchet grinned, but it was a somewhat terrifying grin that she wasn't quite sure what to make of...but it sent a thrilling jolt through her at the promise it held.

"We'll see about that," he replied and Skyla could have sworn there were butterflies in her stomach. Suddenly, he sobered completely and looked at her seriously, all trace of twisted mirth gone, "but I still want you to promise me you won't do anything stupid." Skyla's ears drooped slightly and she looked down,

"Wanting revenge isn't stupid," she muttered to the floor.

"I know, I just want to know that you won't do...anything you might regret," he said as carefully as he could.

"Have you ever killed someone?" Skyla suddenly asked, her eyes flicking up to meet his own with a slight challenge to them. Ratchet shook his head,

"That's not important..."

"How many?"

"Skyla," Ratchet took her hand again, an element of pleading to his voice, "please, Skyla, just promise me that when we go in there tomorrow, you won't let ideas of revenge cloud your judgement. You will have justice, I promise...just...wait." Skyla looked at him, her brow furrowed as her eyes filled with pain and aching anger. Justice. Justice dealt with what was right and saw that things were fair. But she was willing to bet that Baen would never even get half of what he deserved.

"It won't be enough," she croaked. Ratchet's grip on her hand tightened and he pulled her other one to him, weaving his fingers through her open as he cradled them to him,

"I know," he told her earnestly, "but still...promise me. Please." Skyla glanced down at their joined hands and the way they slotted together so perfectly, like cloth woven into fine fabric...as if they were made for each other. She swallowed and took a moment to rein in her feelings, suppressing her impatience for revenge.

"I will try," she murmured eventually, then met his eyes briefly, "for you." Ratchet's face lightened and a gentle smile broke out on his face like the first rays of light from the morning sun.

"That's all I'm asking," he whispered, impulsively brushing his lips against the back of her hands. She watched him intently and for a moment he was held captive by the extraordinary blue of her eyes. There was still pain, and anger, and hate...but there was also hope, and a willingness to do as he asked and hold back. And he could see it was tough, he could see she was struggling to contain the hate, but his heart went out to her as his mind came to the conclusion - she was holding back for him. Affection for the grey Lombax washed over him in waves and he wanted to hug her all over again, to feel her in his arms...

But before he could act on those thoughts, Skyla yawned widely, pulling away her hands to cover her mouth like Maia had taught her.

"Excuse me," she mumbled, her voice slightly muffled. His window of opportunity missed, Ratchet simply smiled,

"I think it's time for bed." Skyla nodded as another yawn escaped her. Rising to his feet, Ratchet set his cold tea aside and offered her his hand. She took it tentatively and he helped her to her feet.

They both left the Observation Lounge, heading for the quarters that Maia and Skyla had been assigned. Neither of them spoke as they traversed the darkened corridors of the Phoenix, and they encountered no other being on their journey. When they arrived at the girl's quarters, Skyla opened the door to reveal a basic living space, with two beds, one of which was occupied by a sleeping Maia. Skyla turned to Ratchet,

"Good night," she murmured with a smile. Ratchet leaned against the door frame,

"Sleep well, we've got a big day ahead tomorrow, or rather...today," he added, as it was well past midnight. Skyla nodded,

"See you...later." She stepped across the threshold, then hesitated, looking at him as if she wanted to say something more. Ratchet swallowed,

"Sweet dreams," he whispered in a low voice. Skyla smiled, but there was an element of confusion to it and her eyes lowered. She began to turn away, then paused once again, glancing back at him, her mouth opening as if to say something. Then, the doors slid shut.


	25. Strike

Skyla whirled around, smashing her foot into the bodice of another test dummy which collapsed to the floor. Taking a step back she surveyed her work with a pleased expression. It was late in the morning on the day of the strike, and Ratchet had offered her a training session on the VR Deck. She'd immediately leapt at the chance, while Maia had opted for watching Secret Agent Clank with the robot himself. They had the whole day to themselves until the Captain and the Rangers arrived for their rendezvous and Skyla had wasted no time in becoming well acquainted with the VR Deck.

"1 minute, 23 seconds," Ratchet announced as he approached, the dummies disappearing into thin air, "that's not bad for a first time assault round."

"Not bad?" Skyla echoed, raising an eyebrow.

"Ok, that was pretty good," Ratchet admitted. To be honest, he was quite impressed. When he was Skyla's age he'd already saved the galaxy once, but he'd had help, had been trained and had an imaginative array of weapons at his disposal. Skyla had trained herself using plants and sacks of dirt...and was still able to take down 20 assorted test dummies in record time.

"Right..." Skyla smiled and dusted off her hands, "I'm bored," she proclaimed spontaneously. Ratchet gave her a look,

"You're kidding. You just decimated 20 dummies and you're...bored." Skyla nodded,

"Yep. How about a fight?" Ratchet threw back his head and laughed. Without warning Skyla lunged at him, taking a swipe at his chin. He just managed to duck away, then caught her hand.

"You're serious," he looked at her, eyebrows raised. Skyla grinned,

"Deadly serious." Ratchet regarded her for a moment, the glint in her eyes issuing a challenge he found himself hard pressed to ignore. Removing his wrench he tossed it aside to make it a fair fight and he saw her eyes dance with pleasure.

"Ok then, but I warn you...I don't go easy on girls," he told her as the two of them began circling each other like sharks, easing into the centre of the training room.

"That's fine by me," Skyla responded, and before she had time to say any more, Ratchet leapt towards her. He aimed a blow at the side of her head to test her reflexes, and was surprised when she ducked away with graceful ease. He tried another few strikes, all of which she dodged easily.

"Is that all you got?" she teased, not even out of breath, balancing lightly on the balls of her feet.

"Nope, just warming up," Ratchet retorted.

"Good, then let's get this party started," Skyla grinned and pounced.

For the next few minutes the two Lombaxes engaged each other in a variety of hand to hand combat techniques, ranging from a kind of boxing to a messy form of martial arts. Ratchet quickly realised just how helpless he was without his wrench or a firearm of some sort. He so very rarely had to fight with his hands that he found himself at a distinct disadvantage to Skyla's skills. The grey Lombax had fought with what nature had given her her whole life, so it was she who had the upper hand for the most part.

Both of them were careful never to aim their blows too directly, but all thoughts of taking it easy swiftly left Ratchet's head as Skyla attacked vigorously, forcing him to put up a genuine fight.

Yet despite Ratchet's disadvantage, the fight continued for some time. This was mainly because Skyla had never really been trained in hand to hand combat, and though she was a good fighter, she fought with a 'freestyle' nature void of rules or unified style. On top of this, she had never actually fought someone her size before. Her opponents were usually twice her size and twice as thick, as well as slow. Ratchet was none of those things, being far closer to her in size and strength (though he was clearly stronger), as well as using his intuition and natural speed, though Skyla was just that much faster than him. So the odds were pretty even between them as they fought on, both with their own advantage over the other.

But in every fight, there is a slip up, and unfortunately for Ratchet, it was he who made it this time. He'd feinted left and actually made to swing his leg right, but Skyla had anticipated his move and he found himself connecting with thin air. A well aimed shove from Skyla sent him crashing to the ground and before he could recover she was on him, pinning him to the floor with her knees.

Both Lombaxes were breathing heavily with exertion and for a moment, they just lay panting on the floor.

"Yield?" gasped Skyla. Ratchet shook his head,

"Never." Skyla gave him a breathy smile,

"Fine...then..." she panted, "we'll just...argh!" Something snaked around her waist and pulled her away from him. There was no time for her to retaliate as Ratchet grabbed her hands and flipped her onto her back, turning the tables quite literally.

Skyla struggled briefly under him before realising there was no point to it.

"Yield?" Ratchet asked her, a smile about his lips as his tail flicked playfully in the air. Skyla shook her head,

"You cheated!" she cried.

"It's not my fault you don't have a tail," Ratchet stated with a grin. Skyla scowled at him,

"It's still cheating."

"If you say so," Ratchet laughed.

"Get off me," Skyla growled.

"Not until you yield."

"I'll never yield."

"Fine then," Ratchet leaned over her, "we'll just wait." Skyla regarded him for a moment before struggling again, trying to free a limb to strike him. But he had her legs glued to the floor and held her arms above her head. She wasn't going anywhere. She growled again. Ratchet chuckled, and suddenly she became aware of how close they were. He was literally on top of her and hung over her, his face just inches from her own.

Skyla stopped moving and just looked at him. The fur of his brow was slightly damp with sweat from their fight, and he was breathing a little heavier than usual, but his green eyes were bright and shining, twinkling down at her from above with good humour.

Ratchet, too, noticed their proximity and felt his innards melt as a strange feeling washed through his body. Her hair was splayed out around her head like a silver halo, and her eyes were like sapphires sparkling up at him from the depths of an ocean. Her features had a both strong and delicate look to them, like a statue sculpted perfectly from soft grey marble. In this light she looked...

He swallowed.

Almost instinctively, he moved his head nearer to hers, closing the distance between them by another inch or two.

Skyla lay frozen to the spot as his eyes trailed to her lips. Her breath caught in her throat and her heart seemed to stop beating as time slowed.

Then, like a light switch being thrown, the moment was gone, leaving both Lombaxes somewhat bewildered and confused. By unspoken consent, Ratchet got off Skyla immediately and offered her his hand. She eyed it warily before ignoring it and getting up on her own.

Ratchet felt the cogs in his mind start to malfunction like a faulty robot. What had he been about to do? Part of him knew exactly what would have happened...but he hadn't done it. And now, his mind was in turmoil. She was looking at him with a curious expression, one of confusion, uncertainty and...regret?

He cleared his throat.

"Right, well..." he searched for something to say, "why don't we take a break?" Skyla nodded in hasty agreement, saying nothing.

"Great, let's go find Maia and Clank...they'll probably still be watching Secret Agent Clank," Ratchet stated, "then we can have lunch."

"Sounds good," Skyla smiled hesitantly.

The two Lombaxes left the VR Deck and headed straight for Ratchet's quarters. Neither of them spoke as they walked, both unsure of what to say.

Skyla felt confused like never before. It was like the neurons in her brain had gone mad, running around in wild panic and spontaneously combusting for no apparent reason. And all because of...Ratchet. But...what had he done? She didn't know...or did she? It was all too confusing, like too much information piled into one small computer chip. She couldn't take all of it. Maybe Maia could help.

They found the Cazar and Clank thoroughly enjoying an episode of Secret Agent Clank on the wide hole-screen. Skyla watched in fascination as she saw Clank on the screen, dressed up in a smart tuxedo outfit in a casino with two very feminine robots beside him. The screen cut to another robot opposite Clank who wore a tweed suit and a monocle, with a fat cigar in his hand. There was a short exchange between the two robots, with a distinct falsity to it and added dramatic tones. Skyla didn't trust the other robot for a minute, and sure enough, he pressed a button and several ninjas appeared to attack Clank. Her eyebrows rose significantly as Clank took out the ninjas in surprising style. He chucked a circular tray at a chandelier above the tweed robot which fell onto him, electrocuting him. The small robot then tilted his head quizzically,

"Hm, shocking." Maia burst out laughing at this and the real Clank looked at her in delight. Skyla was about to ask something when the scene changed and Clank was coming out of the casino in the company of the two robot ladies, but there was something else.

"Bring the car around Jeeves, and mind the ejector seat this time," the robot said, tossing keys to someone on his left. Skyla's jaw dropped. It was Ratchet. But Ratchet...dressed as a chauffeur. There was a light groan from beside her and she turned to see the real Ratchet shaking his head, a hand to his forehead.

"Oh my gosh!" Maia exclaimed, and then the screen displayed a picture of Clank with a "stay tuned" message. The Cazar turned to Ratchet,

"I didn't know you were in it!"

"I'm not, that's not me!" Ratchet denied, though they all knew it was a wasted effort. It couldn't be anyone _but_ him.

"Of course it is you, Ratchet," Clank told him and Ratchet glanced at Skyla. She ducked her head so he wouldn't see her smiling, though her shoulders shook slightly with mirth. She hadn't seen that coming, not by a long shot. Ratchet as a chauffeur? It was...interesting.

"That was so cool, Clank," Maia beamed at the robot, "you're a great actor." Clank smiled,

"Thank you, Maia."

"Let's go have some lunch," Ratchet announced loudly.

"But the man said to stay tuned," Clank began to protest. Ratchet gave him a look.

"You hungry, Maia?" he addressed the Cazar. Maia glanced at Clank,

"Yes...don't worry, Clank, we can finish it after lunch." The robot brightened at this and willingly complied to go with them to the mess hall.

Lunch was a pleasant affair, the group detailing what they had done that morning. The Lombaxes vaguely explained what they'd done in the VR Deck leaving out a few _minor _details, though Skyla could tell Maia sensed something was up from the look in her eyes. But by a silent agreement, neither Lombax mentioned what had happened, and pushed the event from their minds, focusing on the rest of the day, and what it would bring.

* * *

><p>"So...what's a HALO jump again?" Skyla asked from Aphelion's passenger seat. They were in the company of two other small vessels, just beginning a stealthy descent to a night covered Florana.<p>

After lunch, Ratchet had shown Skyla and Maia how to use a basic selection of weaponry so that they would have something for the strike. However, Maia had refused point blank to carry a weapon, and would not relent no matter how much Skyla pleaded her to. Ratchet hadn't been happy either, but he trusted Rojerz to look after the Cazar and knew he would have eyes on her all the time. The link up with the other Rangers had gone smoothly and in no time at all they'd left the Phoenix, heading for Florana where Team Alpha would be first to make a move.

Ratchet steered Aphelion lower. He was wearing his Hyperflux armour and Skyla was wearing a common issue military uniform made of a tough, flexible material that covered the majority of her body. He'd issued her with his Constructo Pistol which was tucked into a belt she wore while he had brought his Constructo Shotgun for himself. Anything else would be a risk to the others.

"High Altitude Low Opening," Ratchet explained, "we jump out a few miles up and free fall down to the facility roof."

"Right...and how are we going to survive?" Skyla asked casually. The sandy Lombax smiled,

"Don't worry, I've got that part covered."

"Alright...how?"

"Team Alpha we are approaching the jump area. Engage autopilot and prepare to eject," Ratchet called, flicking a few switches.

"Roger that," replied several voices. Skyla did a double take,

"Wait, what?" she exclaimed. Ratchet grinned at her and pressed a button.

Skyla didn't even have time to scream as both Lombaxes were shot into the air. Aphelion quickly disappeared as Skyla began to plummet through the clouds towards the planet surface. Almost immediately as she'd started to fall, strong hands grabbed her waist and something was passed around her middle.

"Hold out your arms," Ratchet called into her ear and in her shock, Skyla obeyed instantly. Her mind had gone totally blank as they kept on falling, heading straight for the ground that was coming closer with each passing second.

Ratchet dropped something and her eyes followed it as it fell towards the tree canopy. It vanished, but a moment later something flickered right below them and Skyla saw a section of the forest disappear, revealing a wide flat roof. Ratchet angled them towards it and Skyla realised they were heading straight for a Lombax pancake. But she couldn't even breathe, let alone scream a warning as death by smashing into pieces loomed ever nearer.

They were just metres away when Ratchet tilted up and something on his back opened. He was jerked upright, Skyla with him as his feet splayed out and she felt something flare from them.

Their descent was rapidly slowed and they touched down on the roof lightly. When Ratchet released the strap from around Skyla she nearly collapsed as her knees gave way. He caught her just in time, holding her as she recovered.

Skyla felt like she was about to throw up and groaned. The descent had taken a matter of seconds but her whole body felt like it had been shaken up by some great machine, and her limbs had taken on qualities akin to lead jelly. As she struggled to regain her footing she was faintly aware of Ratchet rubbing her back.

"Are you alright?" he asked, his voice half concerned, half amused. Skyla moaned,

"I hate you." Ratchet laughed and Skyla shook her head to get her vision to stop swimming.

"Wasn't that fun?" Ratchet exclaimed happily. With a growl, Skyla turned on him furiously,

"If you _ever_ do that to m-me again," she poked him hard in the chest, her voice a little slurred, "I swear I will r-rip your tail off and sh-shove it where the sun don't sh-shine." Ratchet grinned, holding up his hands in surrender,

"Ok, ok, I promise."

"Sir, we're ready when you are," announced a voice and Skyla looked up to see that the rest of the team had landed and were waiting expectantly. Skyla shoved Ratchet away from her,

"Go on then, do your job you bumbling oaf." Ratchet smiled, then glanced around the group. There were 6 of them in total, double the original number since 2 of them were here for Skyla's protection. There were 3 robots and a Kerwanian who'd introduced himself as Corporal Wynterz. Ratchet drew himself upright, his face taking on an air of authority and command.

"Right everyone, communicators on silent. Remember, we need to open the main door without being detected so stick close. We stay together and let L-26 and M-29 do the computer hacking. Is that understood?" There were nods and quiet "yeses" from all around. Ratchet nodded and gestured the turbo lift that stuck up and out of the roof,

"Let's go." The group fell into position as two of the robots set about peeling the panel from the wall of the turbo lift. Once they'd bared the circuits, it was another moment until the turbo lift doors opened.

The group slipped into the lift quickly and it was just about big enough big enough for them all. Skyla found herself squashed against a robot so she turned. She immediately found herself practically nose to nose with Ratchet, but she didn't have time to say anything as the other two robots slid in and she was pressed against the sandy Lombax.

"We've programmed it for the ground floor, sarge, and we managed to disable the cameras nearest the lift...we'll need to see to others before we can get to the door unseen," one of the robots whispered as the doors slid shut.

"Good job," Ratchet murmured a little hoarsely, his heart suddenly beating very fast...and not from the mission. The lift hummed into life and began to move, shooting smoothly down the shaft. The journey was short, but for the two Lombaxes it felt a whole lot longer as both were acutely aware how close they were to each other...again. It was like déjà vu only, the other way around and...vertical. But there was no "moment" to this situation, only a little embarrassing fault of practicality.

Ratchet was glad for his visor that covered part of his face, and while his eyes never left Skyla's face, she refused to look at him.

Skyla felt sure her cheeks were bright red and quietly cursed fate for putting her into such a situation twice in one day. And she hadn't had time to talk to Maia either...it was all very inconvenient.

The lift came to a halt and a few seconds later the doors opened. The whole group held their breath as the Wynterz carefully looked out, his head turning left and right. Then he stepped out and beckoned to them, holding a small pistol at the ready. They all left the lift in single file, Wynterz keeping sure the coast remained clear. Ratchet signalled for the two robots to move ahead and see to the next terminal while the others covered them. Once that was done, Skyla fell into place as they slunk through the corridors.

They moved silently through the facility with all the presence of ghosts. Fortunately, the turbo lift was not far from the main door and they all made it there without being detected by guard or camera.

Wynterz and another robot kept on guard as the other two robots began hacking into the grid beside the door, the same one which Marco had cracked but a week ago.

"Alpha lead to all team leads. Stand by for entry," Ratchet muttered into his com-link.

"Copy that, Alpha lead. Standing by," came the Captains voice.

Without warning, a harsh screeching noise filled the air and the sound of running footsteps could be heard heading in their direction.

"Any time now, fellas," Ratchet murmured to the robots, pulling out his shotgun. Skyla drew her pistol and held it at the ready. Wynterz stepped out into the corridor and fired several shots which were followed by loud thumps and howls of pain. Skyla silently mused how Baen must have upped the security in some way, if professionals had failed where amateurs succeeded.

At that moment, the main doors slid open and Ratchet pulled Skyla to the side. The doors hadn't even finished opening as figures began to pour in. Skyla recognised the Captain heading his team and he quickly began shouting orders as the first wave of guards rounded the corner, looking more than a little surprised to find themselves under attack by the Rangers. Skyla's heart leapt for joy as the guards were swiftly felled like trees and the Rangers spread out into the corridors.

"Beta, drive them back and out. We must keep the main doors open," called the Captain as fighting broke out in earnest.

"Gamma, split up and head for your designated area. You have 15 minutes to work then back here immediately," yelled the Lieutenant, cradling a mean looking gun.

"Delta, on me!" shouted Rojerz and Skyla saw a group or around 20 Rangers move out. Skyla caught sight of Maia sandwiched in between them and gave her friend the thumbs up. Rojerz had been true to his word and there were at least 8 Rangers surrounding the Cazar, forming her own protective shield. Team Beta had already successfully pushed back the guards away from the main doors and into the major corridors that led away from it.

Ratchet gripped his wrench and grinned at Skyla,

"You ready for some action?" Skyla gave him a devilish smile and flicked the safety off her pistol,

"Bring it on."

* * *

><p>The next half hour or so passed in a blur as Skyla knew only the battle. The fighting had spread out from the doors and through the corridors and beyond. Skyla and Ratchet had, almost naturally, started battling alongside each other, working together to create the perfect fighting duo. Most of those who confronted Skyla froze momentarily in recognition, giving either her or Ratchet more than enough time to knock them out. At her request, Ratchet had set Skyla's pistol to stun. There was only one person she wanted to actually kill.<p>

The fighting continued as everything was going according to plan. Guards had, at the start, come to them in a trickle which had steadily turned into a flood, but they were clearly unprepared for such an assault and were steadily being overwhelmed by the Rangers. Skyla had just knocked out another guard that Ratchet had held out for her (as a gentleman should) when a shout rose from her right.

"Make way, let us through!" shouted a voice and Skyla looked around to see Rojerz jogging towards her, bringing down guards as he did. The Ranger forces obediently moved aside, dragging their opponents with them as Team Delta began to move past them. But they weren't alone.

Skyla's heart leapt as she saw the other workers, her friends, surrounded by the team and moving along with them. They all looked shocked and more than a little scared but there was a determination about them as they followed Rojerz out of the facility.

Skyla stood against the wall, her heart singing for joy as they filed out through the main door where she knew carrier ships were waiting for them.

Some of them caught sight of her and did a double take, looking at her as if she were a ghost. Some of them called her name and Skyla could hardly keep herself from beaming with pure delight. One by one they swept past her and out to freedom.

Then Skyla saw something that made her think, for one awful moment, that she was dreaming. There were two Kerwanians she recognised running alongside each other. But they were holding someone up between them and Skyla's breath froze in her throat as she registered who it was.

It was Jaymz.

As if sensing her gaze the Rilgarian looked up and saw her,

"Skyla!" he cried, his voice cracking with emotion. Before Skyla knew what she was doing she'd dropped her gun and sprinted towards him.

"Jaymz!" she yelled as she practically threw herself at him, wrapping her arms around him in a tight embrace, burying her head into his chest. Jaymz was alive! Real flesh and blood alive! The Rilgarian nearly overbalanced as she collided with him and laughed weakly,

"Skyla," he croaked. It was then that Skyla realised that something was wrong. Very wrong. She was hugging Jaymz but he wasn't hugging her back, his arms still hooked around the shoulders of his friends. His body felt cold and clammy, and when Skyla pulled back she saw sweat coating his brow and dark rings under his eyes that were filled with pain. Skyla looked down and instantly wished she hadn't.

For where Jaymz' legs should have been were only two stumps, and empty air.

Jaymz had no legs.

"Skyla, we've got to let them keep moving," Ratchet appeared by her side. The grey Lombax glanced at him and realised he was right. She was holding up the others who were forced to move around them as they blocked the corridor. She swallowed hard and looked back at Jaymz, suppressing her shock,

"It's good to see you," she told him her voice wavering as she fought not to break down there and then. Jaymz just managed a feeble smile before his friends hauled him onwards.

Ratchet had to pull Skyla to the side to avoid getting trampled as she watched Jaymz go, paralysed in shock.

"I'm sorry," Ratchet muttered in her ear, shooting an approaching guard down. His voice shook Skyla awake and she nodded curtly,

"I thought he was dead," was all she said.

She focused on the remaining slaves who were passing, and was relieved to see that nearly all of them had been evacuated. Sure enough, she spotted the end of the line with 3 Rangers bringing up the rear.

A thought struck her as the last few trickled by. She hadn't seen Maia pass. Reaching out she grabbed one of the last Rangers.

"Where's Maia?" she demanded, praying with all her might that Maia had been ahead of them. There had been quite a few slaves to get out, and it was most probable Maia had been among them, but she had to check. The Ranger looked behind him.

"She was..." he trailed off as he looked into empty space.

Something dropped in Skyla's stomach like a block of ice in her gut as she replayed his words in her head, and her heart plummeted to what felt like the planet's core. She released the Ranger and her legs were already in motion.

"Skyla!" cried Ratchet but she ignored him, adrenalin flooding her veins as panic rose in her. Her feet pounded into the floor as she leapt over the bodies that lay strewn all over the place, ducking and weaving those who were still fighting. Only one thought filled her mind right now, she had only one directive – find Maia.

Reaching a junction, she ignored Ratchet as he called out to her again, her head whipping back and forth. To her right lay the slave quarters, but something was pulling her the other way. She moved forwards several more steps and her eyes were drawn left to where two robot Rangers lay broken on the ground by an open door. Her stomach did several somersaults and she ran towards it, yanking it open and leaping through without a second thought.

All at once she was surrounded by green and the strong scent of plant life. No fighting had reached the hydroponics chamber and as the door slammed shut behind her she was plunged into a disturbing quiet.

"Maia?" Skyla cried desperately. Her instincts urging her own as she moved forward into the green. Her whole body was tingling and she felt sure that Maia was nearby...but where?

"Maia?" she cried again. But there was no reply, only the sound of the artificial breeze drifting through the chamber, rustling leaves as it went, offering her no comfort. She tried to quieten her breathing as she was panting heavily with exertion, her heart beating so hard it felt like it was about to wrench itself from her chest. Holding her breath, she strained her ears to find something, anything that would give her an indication of where her friend was.

Then she heard it, noises from ahead...noises that sounded like...

"MAIA!" Skyla screamed, lurching into motion. Plants were trampled under her feet, plants that would never grow again in the universe. But she didn't care, beating back the vegetation with a wild ferocity as she strived to reach her friend. But there was too much green and she paused in an effort to hear the sounds again.

The air was still as the breeze dropped, and all around became silent. The plants were motionless, as if watching in anticipation of her next move. Skyla turned her head this way and that, feeling tears of desperation beginning to well in her eyes.

"Maia?" she mewed quietly into the green, "Maia...please."

There was only quiet. Then...

"Skyla..." murmured a soft voice from not far away. Skyla's heart leapt at the sound, but then she heard a quiet, strained gasp and her stomach dropped. Dread crashed over her like a tidal wave as she lunged towards the source of the noise, her heart crying out in fear of what lay ahead.

Rounding a bush, she was just in time to see Baen sink a knife deep into Maia's chest.


	26. Baen

Skyla watched as time ground to a halt around her, screeching to a stop as the metallic smell of blood seeped into the air.

Maia's face crumpled in pain and her mouth formed a small 'o' as she slid gracefully to the ground.

Someone was screaming. Subconsciously, Skyla knew it was her, but consciously...all she knew was the dagger handle sticking out of her closest friend's chest, and the distinct red patch beginning to blossom at her breast.

She was still screaming as Baen turned on her, his eyes dark and unrepentant. Without warning he charged at her, knocking her clean off her feet and picking her up in his arms as if she weighed nothing.

Only when he began to run away did a jolt of realisation shoot through Skyla.

She began screaming in earnest, only one word falling from her lips - Maia. She called her friend's name over and over, her voice cracking and wavering like a broken radio.

Baen half carried, half dragged her out of the hydroponics chamber. She offered no resistance, her mind was still with Maia...and Maia's blood.

He pulled her deeper into the facility, the sounds of fighting fading around them as he dragged her on.

Skyla started to struggle, her mind finally catching up. She tried to free herself from Baen's grasp, but he was too strong.

Still she struggled, screaming all the way as her throat began to turn raw and she felt the muscle began to tear. She barely noticed as Baen shot down a small group of Rangers who were in the wrong place at the wrong time. They collapsed to the ground without a sound, having no time to react as the Novalian swept passed them.

Skyla lashed out, her limbs flailing as she tried with all her might to pull away from him, straining with the effort.

Baen paused momentarily and smashed Skyla into the wall and her screaming was cut off abruptly as she was choked into a stunned silence.

Spots danced before Skyla's eyes and her vision dimmed as she fought desperately not to black out, but while she battled to stay conscious, Baen continued to drag her through the facility.

He halted by a door and shoved her through it, sending her sprawling onto the floor.

As Skyla lay on the ground, her limbs unmoving as her head whirled, Baen began drumming on the panel beside the door, urgently punching commands into the computer.

Skyla couldn't see where they were as her eyes refused to focus, but it felt like an open room of some sort.

The Novalian cursed as the system was unresponsive. Abandoning it, he swooped down on her, heaving her to her feet before she could retaliate. He dragged her over to something and dropped her onto it before climbing on behind her.

Skyla just registered it was a hoverbike as it whirred into life. She knew she should be fighting back, but her head was spinning and her brain felt like mush and all she could see was Maia's beautiful face crumpled in pain.

Baen manoeuvred them around unseen obstacles and out of a door.

All of a sudden they were out in the open and surrounded by greenery, and fresh air whipped through Skyla's hair as they sped off.

It was only when Baen changed gear and increased their speed that Skyla realised exactly what was happening. Baen was taking her into the jungle of Florana, away from the facility, away from Ratchet...away from Maia.

And she began to fight, her movements slow at first but getting wilder as they plunged deeper into the undergrowth. She made to turn and scratch Baen's face, hoping to gouge his eyes, but he ducked away. He cuffed her hard around the head and for a moment Skyla was preoccupied with not throwing up, keeping her balance and staying conscious all at the same time.

A sound reached her ears and she leaned over to the side doggedly to look behind them.

Something was speeding after them, smashing through the vegetation as it closed in. It was a person, but Skyla couldn't see them clearly, only the vague outline of someone whose feet appeared to be on fire, leaving a trail of white behind them.

Baen noticed them too as he drew his gun and glanced back briefly to fire several shots. The figure dodged them all, swinging something that reflected the shots harmfully into the trees. The Novalian was forced to refocus on steering, giving the figure time to gain.

Suddenly, the hoverbike jerked right and Skyla was nearly dislodged from her seat. She just managed to keep a grip on the seat and spent the next few seconds fighting to keep it as the bike veered this way and that in an effort to throw of their pursuer.

But the figure kept coming regardless, ducking more of Baen's shots as they came closer with each passing second.

They were a couple of metres away when Skyla saw, from the corner of her eye, the figure throw something at the hoverbike, something large and metal and familiar looking.

Their aim was spot on as the hoverbike's back engine crumpled in and fell away with a clatter, the vehicle beginning to spin out of control. Baen wrestled with the bike, trying to rein it in, but it quickly became obvious his actions were useless.

Grabbing Skyla, he leapt off with her as the bike smashed into a tree trunk, bursting into a great ball of fire. The heart blasted over Skyla's fur as she crashed into the ground, but she had no time to recover as Baen set upon her.

The struggle was brief as Skyla was still disorientated, and a moment later she found herself held up against Baen, a dagger to her throat.

The figure had slowed when they'd crashed and stopped before them, standing a few feet away.

"Let her go," they ordered and Skyla recognised their voice instantly. It was Ratchet.

"Or what?" Baen retorted, "you so much as move an inch and I'll slit her throat." Ratchet froze to the spot, his wrench half raised as alarm shot across his features. Then he composed himself,

"I swear...if you don't let her go, I'll hurt you more than I intend to," he muttered dangerously. Baen laughed, a dry chilling sound that made the air freeze and crack around them.

"So she's told you about me, has she? How much?" the Novalian asked.

"Enough," Ratchet growled.

"But I bet not everything," Baen sneered. Skyla tried to move, to pull away from him, but he held her firm, pressing the knife a little deeper into her throat,

"No, no, my dear, don't struggle," he murmured in her ear, his voice as cold and slippery as an eel, "you'll only make things worse for yourself."

"Let her go, Baen," Ratchet demanded, unintentionally taking a step forward and raising his wrench. Skyla hissed as the blade just broke the skin of her neck, blood welling up around it. Ratchet froze again. Baen smiled.

"No, I don't think I will," he answered silkily. There was a rustle from Skyla's left and Ratchet's eyes flicked over to it. As quick as lightning, Baen had drawn something from his pocket and chucked it into the bush. He yanked Skyla away as the bush exploded and bits of bark flew towards Skyla, splinters digging into her skin. A small metallic form was catapulted from the bush and crashed against a tree trunk, sliding to the ground where they lay still.

"Clank!" Ratchet cried, rushing towards his motionless friend. Baen used the time to heave Skyla away and further into the jungle, out of sight of Ratchet who was temporarily engrossed in his friend.

Slamming her up against the tree the Novalian held Skyla in place, his knife once again at her throat.

"I should kill you," he hissed in her face, "for what you've done. All the trouble you've caused me over the years, and now this," his eyes were like that of a venomous snakes, just waiting to strike. He paused and for a moment the two just regarded each other, Skyla drawing in raspy breaths as her heart thudded heavily in her chest, unable to speak for the lump in her throat.

"And yet..." Baen went on, "it seems such a shame to kill you," he trailed the knife point along her jaw, "you are my crown jewel after all." For a moment, Skyla could do nothing and stood helpless before him as his gaze bore holes into her skull. Two black orbs of despair, lifeless and desolate as they sucked the light and life from around them. They were so unlike any other person's eyes, so unlike Ratchet's that were always so full of honesty and gentle humour, so unlike Maia's that were always overflowing with love and kindness...

Skyla choked, Maia's eyes...Maia...

"You killed Maia," she blurted, her voice wavering with barely contained emotion. Baen's mouth curled into a cruel smile,

"The Cazar? Yes, I did, didn't I?" he answered smoothly, his voice like black venom steadily dripping onto an open wound, "and now..." he paused and raised the dagger, angling it at her chest, a wicked grin plastered across his features, "I'm going to kill you in precisely the same way. Any last words, my dear Lombax?."

Everything stopped moving around Skyla and she saw only his eyes and his smile, silently mocking her from the depths of darkness.

A cloud of red descended over her as anger began to boil in her belly like a great pit of lava. Her whole body shook with rage and her hands clenched into fists, her nails digging into her palm so hard they drew blood. Eyes overflowing with the molten fires of pure hatred, she locked gaze with Baen.

"I'll _kill you_," she whispered in a hollow, empty voice not unlike the grating sound of metal. Baen's eyes had just begun to widen as she brought her knees up and kicked against him with all her might. Taken by surprise the Novalian stumbled back a pace before regaining his footing, but he was too late. Skyla was on him in a flash, her anger pouring into her a strength she didn't normally possess. She screamed like a wild animal as she tore into him, kicking, punching and scratching every inch of him. She attacked with all the power and hatred of a demon, hell-bent on causing another the greatest amount of pain.

Everything he'd put her through, every torture he'd inflicted on her...she began to repay him for it all. But it wasn't enough.

Even as he buckled under the raw power of her attack, she knew that no matter what she did, how much she hurt him...he would never suffer enough for what he had done.

Baen collapsed to the ground after what seemed like hours but was more like minutes, his body battered and bruised and bleeding all over as his fine clothes now lay in tatters.

Skyla stood over him, his knife in her hand as her eyes continued to burn. She hadn't gotten away unharmed as he'd put up a fight and she too bled from numerous wounds, and she couldn't breathe properly through her nose as he had smashed it into a bloody pulp.

Dripping with blood she looked down at him, her greatest foe, her knife poised for the kill she craved to make.

And Baen laughed.

It was a weak sound, strained with effort, but it had a scornful tone that rang through as clear as day. Skyla gazed at him in shock as he continued to laugh.

"I should never have let you go," he spluttered, his lips coated with navy blood that shined black against his skin. Skyla frowned at his words,

"What do you mean?" she demanded. Baen chuckled again,

"My dear girl, did you honestly think I would just let you waltz out of my facility?" he was struggling to speak but his words still came clear as his blood began to soak into the ground.

"I knew where you were every step of the way," he told her with a light cough. Something spasmed in Skyla, like an electric shock to her innards,

"You what?" she whispered.

"I tracked you, my dear. All the way to Sarathos. When we lost the signal, I presumed you'd been eaten by a Leviathan. How wrong I was," he laughed again, spraying her with drops of blood.

"You knew where I was?" Skyla looked at him in disbelief, "then why did you let me go?"

"To see what happened," he answered, "I wanted to see how you reacted to your...'freedom'. I should have known better though, things didn't go quite according to plan," he chuckled as if realising some joke. Skyla was paralysed in shock for a moment. Then all of a sudden she remembered. The chip. The one Ratchet had removed from her arm. Hadn't Clank said it was a homing device? She'd forgotten all about it...until now.

"That's how you found me," she murmured, "on Eudora. You found me and...killed the Enyd." Her eyes darkened once again to azure flames.

"No, my dear, _you_ killed those forest dwellers," Baen told her with a twisted smile, "if you had not escaped, they would not have died, your Rilgarian friend would still have legs and...Maia would still be alive." Skyla blanched at this,

"Shut up," she whispered furiously in a strangled voice, "shut _up_. You have _no _right to even _speak_ her name." Her eyes were burning with such white hot fire that had Baen been a man of simple heart he may well have melted at her gaze. But as it stood, Baen had no heart to melt.

"I'm sorry," the Novalian muttered, his voice dripping with sarcasm, "have I upset you?"

Something hot was sliding down Skyla's face. Raising a hand she touched her face lightly and felt something wet on her cheeks. Examining her fingers, she saw a mixture of tears and blood at their tips.

"And now look at you..." Baen continued conversationally, "returning to _rescue_ your friends. How...sweet."

"Skyla!" cried a voice and the grey Lombax turned to see Ratchet running towards her, something limp hanging on his back. He stopped when he realised what was happening and walked the last few paces with a stiff hesitance.

"Ah, Ratchet, how good of you to join us," Baen smiled at the sandy Lombax, his eyes dancing with demonic glee. Skyla's brow furrowed as her mind picked apart his words and the Novalian's smile widened. Then it hit Skyla.

"You...you knew?" she whispered disbelievingly.

"My dear, of _course_ I knew," Baen responded arrogantly, the mocking tone ringing in Skyla's ears like the tolling of a great bell.

"Knew what?" asked Ratchet suspiciously.

"About you, my dear boy," Baen told him with another smile, like that of a shark. Ratchet frowned.

"You...kn-knew about R-Ratchet a-and you...d-didn't tell m-me?" Skyla's voice shook with anger and she was barely able to get out the words. Baen laughed, a horrible guttural sound,

"Now why would I do that?" he mused aloud, "no, no, your ignorance was far more amusing."

"You...let me think I was the only one?" Skyla asked in a hoarse voice, not quite believing it all as rage clogged her veins.

"Yes, I did, is that so hard to believe?" Baen asked mockingly, "and it was all going so well...until you met this so called 'hero'," he ended with a disgusted glance at Ratchet. The sandy Lombax tensed up at this, but before he could reply Skyla let out a choked wailing cry and launched herself at Baen. She landed on top of him and pressed the dagger to the base of his neck, her chest heaving with broken sobs. Her vision blurred as hot tears streamed unchecked down her face. She tried to wipe them away with her free hand but only succeeded in coating her face with more blood.

"What are you going to do? Kill me?" the Novalian challenged her huskily.

"Death's too good for you, you...you..." Skyla hissed and spluttered on her words, her sobs preventing her from saying any more. She couldn't stop crying as drop after drop of salty liquid fell steadily from her eyes, sinking into the ground where they disappeared without a trace.

"So what then? If you're not going to kill me, what are you going to do?" Baen goaded her, "lock me up like a common criminal?" Skyla shook her head without thinking.

"What then?" Baen repeated nastily.

"You deserve to suffer," Skyla growled in a high pitched tone, the knife digging deeper into his neck.

"And how is that going to happen?" Baen retorted contemptuously, "you think I'll suffer in jail? You think that if I spend the rest of my life behind bars, everything will be alright?" His eyes locked onto hers, sucking her into their foul depths.

"Whether I live or die, nothing can change the past."

The darkness in his eyes clutched at Skyla, threatening to drag her down into a pit of hopelessness and despair. She was trapped by them as they beckoned to her, leading her further into the dark. And she felt herself begin to fall.

"Skyla," a soft voice called to her, bringing with it a glimpse of light and a flicker of hope. In it, there was only a gentle request, quietly begging her to return to them. With great effort, Skyla tore her eyes from the darkness and looked to the light that came from beside her, emanating from one whose face held only peace and understanding.

"It's up to you," they murmured quietly, their gentle voice echoing in her mind. Skyla paused, letting their words sink in as her breathing slowed and the tears faded away, a calm descending over her like a blanket. She inclined her head in acknowledgement and looked down on the Novalian with a new eye.

Instantly, memories crashed over her as she saw him for what he was. She remembered when he bought her, when he beat her for the first time, and all the times after that, being tortured by him, being tortured by others _because_ of him, being _lied_ to and tricked all this time, being told she was the only Lombax alive when _he knew_ that it was a lie. Baen was a demon from Hell itself. If anyone deserved death, it was him.

Skyla raised the knife above her head, preparing to make the final blow.

But Baen wasn't finished.

"Ask yourself this," he whispered and she hesitated against her will, and then his voice took on an ancient tone as he whispered, "what would Maia do?"

His words flew at Skyla and like an arrow to the heart they found their mark.

Anything else he'd said would have seen her make the kill. But now he'd placed all his cards on the table...and it was a winning hand.

Skyla balked and her aim faltered, but Baen didn't even more as he lay watching her, waiting to see what she would do, leaving his throat deliberately exposed.

Skyla's mind was screaming at her to finish it, to kill the man who had caused her _so_ much suffering, to kill the man who had lied to her for years on end and laughed at her ignorance...to kill the man who had murdered her best friend in cold blood.

But she couldn't.

She couldn't do it.

Because Maia would not kill.

Maia would not kill, not ever, not even someone like Baen who deserved death.

Maia wouldn't do it.

So neither would Skyla.

Before she could think any further, she leaned forward and stabbed the knife into the soft ground beside Baen's head. His eyes glinted with knowing malice at her, but she refused to meet them.

"I will not kill you," Skyla muttered in a hollow voice, her heart feeling as if it had turned to iron, "I will not be dragged down to your level." The weight of the world was on her shoulders as she stood up, threatening to crush her under it. But she stayed strong...somehow.

A hand touched her arm and she looked up to see Ratchet looking at her with a curious expression. It wasn't condemning her, or praising her, but it was asking her a question, a question she knew required an answer. And she understood, and knew her answer at once. Because there was no other way for this to happen, no other way for her to be free.

With a final glance down at Baen, she turned away and nodded once. Ratchet drew his shotgun,

"Skyla may not be a killer," he said coldly and the Novalian's eyes widened as the sandy Lombax pointed the gun at his head, "but I am."


	27. Goodbye

Baen's body slumped to the ground but Skyla was already moving, her feet taking on a mind of their own as they began to take her back in the direction they'd come, back towards the facility.

"Skyla!" called Ratchet but she ignored him, her head once again filled with one directive get back to the facility, get back to Maia.

She leapt over broken vegetation, following the trail of devastation Ratchet had made.

"Skyla, wait!" Ratchet yelled, speeding after her. He caught up to her in no time and put out a hand. She shook him off. He grabbed her arm and she jerked around, trying to yank herself free,

"Let me go!" she shouted.

"Skyla, please, just wait," Ratchet asked her soothingly, but she continued to try and pull away.

"Let me go!" she cried, her voice rising in hysteria.

"Skyla, what's the matter?" Ratchet's brow furrowed. Why was she getting so worked up?

"I have to go back...I have to get to Maia!" she screamed as she strained in his arms, limbs flailing desperately. Dread dropped in Ratchet's stomach like an iron boulder and he acted on it in an instant. Scooping Skyla into his arms he kicked his hoverboots into life and sped off through the jungle, heading for the facility. Skyla stopped struggling when she realised where they were going and looped her arms around his neck to ease the weight.

A minute or so later they arrived back at the facility, speeding through the open main door. They were greeted with the welcome sight of the Rangers in full control of the facility, with the remaining guards being rounded up. But before Ratchet could take in any more Skyla had already scrambled out of his arms before he'd even stopped.

"Sarge! We've..." called one robot.

"Not now!" Ratchet retorted. He paused momentarily to remove a limp Clank from his back and handed him to a nearby robot.

"Fix him," was all he said before he went after the grey Lombax.

Skyla's feet barely touched the ground as she practically flew to the hydroponics chamber, her heart beating like that of a caged bird. She arrived and immediately headed for where she knew Maia lay, batting aside plants, crushing them once again in her haste.

She rounded the bush and came to an abrupt halt.

Maia lay on the ground where Skyla had left her, and there were two Kerwanian medics beside her. Skyla looked down at the Cazar and saw, to her immense relief, that Maia was still conscious. But then she saw her eyes and her heart fluttered with fear. The grey Lombax took several hesitant steps to her friend and fell to her side.

"Maia?" she whispered, picking up her friend's hand and cradling it to her.

"Little one," the Cazar whispered, a gentle yet slightly strained smile on her lips. Skyla looked into her eyes and noted their expression with alarm. They were full to the brim with pain and...hopelessness. Skyla looked up at the Kerwanians,

"Why aren't you healing her?" she demanded, her voice cracking. The medics exchanged glances,

"We can't," one of them said gently.

"There's some sort of poison coating the blade and it's slowing her heart down with every beat...and we can't stop it. We've tried adrenalin, histamine, nano-tech, everything...nothing works. Taking the blade out will only increase the rate of..." the other trailed off. Skyla frowned and her eyes flicked down to Maia,

"I...I don't understand," she murmured. Maia looked at her with soft eyes,

"They can't heal me, Sky." Her words ricocheted around Skyla's head, echoing with a distant promise of inevitability. Panic gripped Skyla's heart and she looked desperately at the medics,

"Su-surely there's s-something...anything y-you ca-can do..." she stuttered as her words tripped and stumble over each other. The medics simply shook their heads slowly.

"We're sorry," they murmured. Then they rose,

"We'll leave you in peace." They moved away as Ratchet arrived. A flurry of emotions shot across his face, but he quickly backed away, seeing that the two friends needed to be alone. He went with the medics and began a hushed conversation some way away.

Skyla gripped Maia's hand tighter, shuffling closer to her friend. Her blue eyes were narrowed in confusion as she looked into the hopeless gaze of Maia's eyes.

"Little one..." a delicate frown graced Maia's features as she noted Skyla's appearance, "what happened?" Skyla swallowed, feeling the iron taste of blood slip down her throat.

"Baen's dead," she muttered in reply. Maia's eyes widened,

"Sky..."

"I didn't kill him," the grey Lombax hastened to add, "Ratchet did." Understanding dawned in the dying light of Maia's eyes.

"Maia..." Skyla's voice cracked and faded, falling away into uncertainty. The Cazar smiled a sad, soft, smile.

"I'm sorry, little one," she murmured, her voice barely above a whisper. Skyla choked on her words as they stabbed into her mind like a thousand daggers, and all of a sudden it hit Skyla. Like a train down the tracks, it slammed into Skyla with all the force of a thousand tsunamis.

Maia was dying.

Maia, her best friend, her sister, her rock...was dying.

And there was nothing Skyla could do.

She made a strangled noise and moved closer, clutching Maia's hand to her.

"No. No. Maia, please. Please. No," she pleaded and spluttered. Maia's eyes softened to a look of compassion and regret, but she said nothing.

"Maia..._please_," Skyla begged, fear hammering into her chest like a rusty nail, "you can't...you can't..._die_." Maia still said nothing. Skyla gulped back tears that were threatening to spill over, but she knew it wouldn't be long before they gave way.

"Maia...please...don't...don't _die_," she whimpered pathetically.

"Everything is going to be alright," Maia told her calmly.

"No, no. No! It's n-not! I...I _need_ you, Maia," Skyla answered, her voice rising in panic, "don't...don't die. I can't...I can't go on w-without you," her voice trailed off into a choked whisper.

"You can do this, Sky," Maia whispered.

"No, I can't!" Skyla cried, tears starting to leak out and trickle down her face.

"Yes, you can," Maia told her firmly, "you've got Ratchet and Clank. They'll help you, look after you."

"But...but...they're not _you_," Skyla choked again, "I need _you_." Maia simply looked at her, her face etched with beautiful grief.

"I'm so sorry, Skyla," she murmured, her voice aching with regret.

"I had plans, you know," Skyla told her, a desperate edge to her voice, "I never told you, but even before we'd escaped, I had plans. We were going to free everyone, and live on a planet far, far away from anyone else. We were going to have a farm and grow our own food and live there forever and ever. Just us. You, me and Jaymz," Skyla's eyes widened, "he's alive, Maia! Jaymz is alive!" she cried like a strangled crow.

"I know, little one," Maia murmured, her voice growing fainter, "and he will look after you too."

"Maia..." Skyla whimpered, her face smeared with blood and tears, "don't go. Don't...leave me."

"I'll still be with you, Skyla," Maia replied with a tender smile, "in here." She raised a hand, shaking with effort, and held it against Skyla's heart. The grey Lombax held it in place, her vision blurring as the tears continued to flow in an ever increasing stream, like a dam on the brink of collapse.

"I love you, little one," Maia whispered, her breathing slowing with each breath, "never forget that. I love you...so, _so_ much. And I'm so sorry it has to be this way. But I love you...and I know you can go on. You are strong, little one, and I believe in you. You can do this, Skyla." Maia sucked in a breath of pain and her body spasmed slightly, but she brought it under control and kept on smiling. Skyla choked again and pressed Maia's hand to her lips, feeling their dying warmth in her palm,

"I love you too," she murmured quietly, then her eyes closed as several muffled sobs shook her body.

At that moment, the bush behind them rustled and a figure emerged. Ratchet came over and knelt beside Skyla without a word, his face grim and his eyes bleeding with sorrow. Maia smiled up at him gently,

"Take care of her, Ratchet," she told him. The sandy Lombax nodded,

"I will," he promised with a blunt solidity, pain all too evident in his eyes. Maia coughed lightly and blood appeared on her lips, staining them red. Her breathing was becoming dangerously light as she began to rasp with every breath, the air rattling in her lungs,

"Remember...little one..." she gasped softly and Skyla's grip on her hand tightened once again, inadvertently cutting off the blood supply. Maia's eyes met her own and Skyla could see the light flickering and fading within them like a candle in the wind, and yet still retaining the warmth and compassion Skyla had always known them to have. Maia went on, her last words spoken with great effort,

"You're...not...alone."

With that, the Cazar sighed and her chest ceased to move, her body lightening as her life left her like a butterfly to the breeze. Skyla looked down in numb shock at her friend. Eyes that had, moments ago, been so full of life...now lay empty in death.

"Maia..." Skyla mewed pitifully. But there was no answer. There would never be an answer. Because Maia was dead.

Skyla choked once, a strangled sound that seemed to be held captive in her throat, and then she collapsed as the barriers to her grief gave way. It all began to pour out. Tears streamed down her face as her body started to heave with great, racking sobs. They flowed steadily, dripping onto the still warm hand of her friend, and falling to the ground where they soaked in with the blood.

Strong arms wrapped around Skyla and she was pulled into an embrace. Even when her body shook so violently in fits of grief, they held on to her, rocking her gently as the tears continued to fall, drop by drop.

All of a sudden, Skyla threw back her head and gave a cry. It was a cry of pure anguish, an animalistic sound of unimaginable loss and inconceivable pain. It was a cry that pierced to the very heart of all who heard it. It was the cry of a wounded animal, howling their misery to the moon in the depths of the night. It was the cry of one whose heart had been wrenched in two and tossed aside, two bloody pieces of flesh slowly losing what gave them life.

The arms tightened around her as the sound continued, its intensity increasing until it eventually trailed off into a strangled wail. As it stopped, it seemed to flutter up and away through the green to the roof and the sky above, taking it with it all hope, all joy...all life.

The tears continued to fall from Skyla's eyes, as Ratchet held her to him and the life blood of Maia mingled with her tears as they faded away into the ground beneath them.

And in the chamber, Skyla cried.

* * *

><p>When they came to take the body away, Skyla would not let go. She clung to the Cazar"s hand as if it were a lifeline, uttering noises of desperation as she began to fight them to keep ahold. Ratchet was forced to tug her away and could only hold her firmly as she struggled against him, straining to reach her friend as sobs continued to rack her body. Gradually, her movements slowed and she slumped in Ratchet's arms, burying her face into his chest as she whispered Maia's name over and over in whimpering cries. Her tears wet his front but Ratchet didn't care as he lowered his head next to hers, pressing his cheek to her head as he rocked her in a gentle, soothing rhythm. His own tears were leaking from his eyes as drop after drop fell down his face and onto her hair, and he closed his eyes. His own barriers threatened to break, to pour out in a torrent of emotion, but he held it back, because Skyla was weeping.<p>

Instead he listened to her sobs as each one cut deep into him, like shards of glass digging into his heart, shredding it to pieces. He felt her loss through the sound of her sorrow, and the grief that emanated from her, wrapping him in a shroud of misery he felt he would never be free of.

So he simply held her, gently standing firm against the barrage of pain that tore at him, focusing only on the beautiful, broken creature in his arms.

"Sarge?" his eyes opened and flicked over to where a Ranger stood uncertainly. Ratchet gave him a look.

"We need you, sarge," the robot muttered nervously. Ratchet sighed inwardly. He began to pull away from Skyla but she clutched at him instinctively, her hands scrabbling on his armour. He placed a hand over hers, murmuring words of reassurance,

"I'll be back. Just a minute. I promise." He slowly lowered her to the ground where she sat in a crumpled heap, her head falling into her hands. Ratchet rose and he could hardly bear to leave her in such a state, but he forced himself to turn and follow the Ranger.

"What's the situation?" he muttered, knowing it must be serious if they came to him in such a moment.

"Captain Pykard went down. He'll be ok, but he's been taken in for medical treatment. Lieutenant Blak is on the trail of a group of guards who escaped into the forest and Sergeant Rojerz is with the evacuees," the robot explained, "we've rounded all the guards into the mess hall."

Ratchet followed him through the facility until they reached the right place. As he entered, he was immediately confronted with the sight of at least 100 guards sitting unarmed at the lunch tables, with Rangers posted around the room to keep a close eye on them all. They all looked up as Ratchet entered and the sandy Lombax addressed them all,

"Who's your leader?" A Snivelakian got to his feet and Ratchet recognised him as the same guard he'd fought when he first met Skyla.

"I am Drako, Head of Security," the reptile announced.

"You are all under arrest," Ratchet told them, "and will be sentenced according to your crimes. You," he pointed at Drako, "will co-operate fully."

"Where's Baen?" Drako asked.

"Baen is dead," Ratchet retorted coldly. There was a general stir in the guards as mumbling broke out. Drako studied Ratchet for a moment and saw the truth in his eyes, and he bowed his head in submission.

"Then you have our complete surrender and full co-operation. I only ask for medical assistance to my men who need it." Ratchet nodded once,

"Fine."

"Sir, the prison ships have just landed," a Kerwanian told the Lombax.

"Treat those who are wounded and then file them out in groups of 10. Any funny business, use any force necessary," Ratchet addressed the Rangers nearest to him. They all nodded in acknowledgement and went about following his orders. Ratchet left the hall and made for the hydroponics chamber, anxious to return to the one who needed him.

"Ratchet!" He turned to see Clank running towards him, looking a little battered but very much alive. Ratchet smiled, but there was no light to it,

"Clank. Good to see you're ok."

"Where is Maia?" the robot asked. Ratchet's heart fell and he opened his mouth to speak but his throat had closed up. His mouth was filled with sawdust and for a moment he simply gaped at his friend.

"Ratchet. Where is Maia?" Clank repeated with cautious agitation. The sandy Lombax finally found his voice, even though it cracked,

"I...I...I'm so sorry Clank," was all he managed. The robot's optic sensors widened in complete shock and he shook his head unconsciously.

"No," he muttered in disbelief, "no." There was nothing Ratchet could say as he simply looked at Clank, pain smeared across his features. As the news sank in, the robot opened his mouth several times, but no sound came out. Then, without a word he turned and ran towards the main entrance. Ratchet didn't even call after him.

He headed straight back to the hydroponics chamber and located Skyla immediately.

He found the grey Lombax where he'd left her, on the ground that was soaked in Maia's blood, curled into a foetal position. He sat down beside her and realised she wasn't moving at all, and made no sign she'd noticed his presence.

"Skyla?" Ratchet murmured, trying to elicit a response. With aching slowness Skyla's head rose and her eyes met his. She wasn't crying anymore but her cheeks were still damp with tears and blood. Around her eyes were puffy and red, and her nose was running, a steady stream of snot and blood. She looked a mess, but it was her eyes that he really noticed.

Where before they'd been so full of life, even anger and hate and sorrow lighting their depths...they now lay empty, completely and utterly devoid of any emotion. It was like looking into the eyes of a blank robot. They were as barren as a desert, and there was no light to be found in the blue, only varying shades of grey and black.

Ratchet heard a cracking sound and felt sure it was his heart breaking clean in two. For he had never seen eyes like Skyla's before, so empty, so lifeless, so...blank.

And it hurt him, deeper than anything had ever hurt him before. Every cut and bruise, every broken bone or gashed limb, every mental pain he'd endured when those around him had died...it was nothing to this. _This_ was pain. And it hurt. It hurt him so bad he wondered if he just might be dying of sheer agony. Because as he looked into the void that used to be Skyla's eyes, he felt a piece of him die inside, fading away to a charred black mess. The void was empty, and desolate...and Ratchet was heartbroken for it.

Right there and then, Ratchet wanted nothing more than to take Skyla into his arms and hold her close. He wanted to tell her that it was ok, that everything was going to be alright. But he didn't. He couldn't. Because that would be lying. Because deep down he knew that it wasn't ok, not in the slightest. Deep down he knew...nothing would ever be the same again.


	28. Come with me

Two months later...

"Sky?" Ratchet called, walking through the empty corridors of Kerwan's planetary defence centre. There was no-one else about as they were all at the ceremony. It was to mark the launch of the government's new aim to crack down on the slave trade and end slavery in Solana once and for all. At the moment, Sasha was giving a well rehearsed, thoughtful speech about the impact of slavery on the galaxy to an audience comprised of various officials and the media. Even Qwark had turned up, in his usual style of gate crashing as 'Galactic President coming through', immediately claiming the best seat for himself and his 'Deputy', i.e. the seats nearest the buffet.

The ceremony was to consist of speeches, a short service of award giving, and then a pleasant evening meal out on the large veranda. There was only one award to give out, to be presented to the creature responsible for the freedom of nearly 50 slaves from a facility on planet Florana. But she wasn't there.

"Skyla?" Ratchet called again as he looked this way and that for any sign of the grey Lombax. He reached the quarters she'd been set up in and went in without knocking.

It was a fairly large room, generously decorated with fine furniture and a large open window that looked out over the city. A full length mirror stood beside the window, a figure before it, their back turned to Ratchet. The curtains floated slightly in the breeze as Ratchet carefully closed the door behind him and made his way over. He stopped behind them, just looking into the mirror at their reflection.

She wore a dress, the first he'd seen her in, and whoever had chosen it for her certainly wanted her looking her best for the evening. The dress was midnight blue in colour and hugged her waist, accentuating her curves as it flowed right down to the ground. The strap only went over one shoulder, leaving the other looking distinctly bare. She wore no jewellery other than her flower bracelet, but her hair was brushed and neatly held back by a blue clip in the shape of a butterfly. Her arms and neck were exposed and looked almost naked, only the soft grey fur and darker stripes visible. There was the faintest trace of mascara around her lids, making her eyes seem that much bluer. But the blue seemed blunted, as if someone had dimmed the light in her eyes to barely a flicker. And they held the look of one who was haunted by a terrible something that they would never be rid of, that would follow them to the end of their days.

She was a ghost. A beautiful, haunted ghost.

Ratchet swallowed.

"They're waiting for you," he murmured. Skyla's shoulders sagged and she turned slowly to face him, her eyes lowered,

"I know," she paused, "I can't go out there." She spoke with the voice of one at least 5 decades her senior, one who had seen life and was weary from it.

"It's not hard. All you need to do is smile and accept the award from Sasha. You don't even have to stay for the dinner if you don't want to," Ratchet told her. Skyla shook her head,

"No, I can't go out there, Ratchet. I can't." Ratchet looked at her,

"Why?" he asked gently.

"Because I can't!" she cried softly, "not...not looking like this," she shook the dress, "not in front of all those people I don't know. Not to accept an award for...for...I can't do it. I can't go out there," she finished in hollow misery. Ratchet saw her eyes glisten with unshed tears as her head bowed, and his heart throbbed. For two months she had been all but mute and they had hardly spoken at all. What she'd just said was the most he'd heard her talk in weeks. He replayed her words in his mind, wondering how best to reply.

"You look beautiful," he spoke quietly, the words slipping off his tongue before he could catch them. She looked up at him, the blue light flickering in the void of her eyes. She gave him a small smile, but it was marred by the sadness,

"Thank you...but this isn't me." She raised a hand to remove the butterfly clip from her hair, but Ratchet reached out and stopped her.

"Don't," he whispered, moving closer to her. Her eyes tilted up again and met his, and he was caught once again by the all too familiar torment within them.

"Please," her voice was barely above a whisper, "don't make me go out there." The small whimper to her voice combined with the wisp of a begging tone and the child like plea in her eyes made Ratchet's mind up in an instant.

"I'm not going to make you do anything," he told her. There was a short pause as he mulled something over, then he asked, "will you come with me?"

"Where?" she enquired.

"You'll see," he murmured, smiling ever so slightly. Skyla looked at him for a moment, searching his eyes for a clue to his actions. There was no trace of deceit in his gaze, only honesty. She nodded her head once in assent and Ratchet's smile widened. Gripping her hand tighter, he began pulling her away.

"Come with me," he told her. So she did.

The two Lombaxes snuck out of the room and began padding quietly through the Planetary Defence Centre, keeping to the shadows to avoid detection. Skyla wanted to ask where they were headed, but decided against it, putting her trust into Ratchet.

They arrived in the main hangar and picked their way in between ships before arriving at Aphelion. Ratchet placed a hand on the ship's bonnet,

"Aphelion?" The ship stirred as if waking,

"Ratchet?" the feminine voice asked.

"We're going somewhere, but we don't want anyone to know we've gone until we're off the planet," Ratchet explained.

"Affirmative." The ship hatch opened and Ratchet jumped in, pulling Skyla up with him. She settled in the passenger seat as the hatch closed and Aphelion hummed into life. Ratchet pressed a few buttons and they began moving away slowly and quietly. When they'd left the hangar Aphelion's lights dimmed so they weren't drawing attention to themselves. Ratchet steered them through several back alleys, tapping away at the controls while he did.

"Masking our trail and letting Clank know where we've gone," he answered in response to Skyla's questioning gaze. Soon, they'd left the planet's atmosphere and were in empty space. Once clear of Kerwan's gravitational pull, Ratchet jumped Aphelion to warp.

"Where are we going?" Skyla couldn't help but ask, her curiosity getting the better of her and temporarily overshadowing all other thoughts. The other Lombax gave her a secretive smile,

"You'll see." A few minutes later they exited warp and were headed for a green looking planet in front of them. Skyla recognised it immediately.

They orbited the planet briefly as Ratchet seemed to be searching for something, then they began their descent.

When they came to the planet's surface it was the middle of the night and there was not a single cloud in the sky. They came to a clearing and Aphelion landed without a bump and the hatch opened. Ratchet jumped out and offered his hand to Skyla who took it and let him help her down.

She didn't need to ask where they were, she knew immediately. Stepping away from Ratchet and Aphelion, she took in her surroundings. They were in a wide clearing, trees all around them, except for the cliff edge that dropped away before her. Behind her, she knew she'd find the rusting remains of an old settlement. She turned to Ratchet, brow knotted in mild confusion,

"Why have you brought me here?"

"This is where we first met," the sandy Lombax replied softly. Skyla's brow knotted further. He was right, she knew that. There were still scorch marks on the ground from the fight, and bits of debris were scattered here and there. But this was also the planet where the Enyd had been slaughtered and their homes destroyed. Skyla closed her eyes as faces flashed before her. Heryn, Heryniel, Lhach, Beleg...Maia. This was where she'd been reunited with her friend...only to be separated again several days later. Separated permanently. The hollow feeling in Skyla's gut tore slightly, but no tears welled in her eyes. She hadn't cried in weeks...she hadn't been able to. Something came to rest on her arm and she looked up to find Ratchet beside her,

"There's something I want to show you," he told her. Skyla frowned briefly, then nodded with only a little hesitation. Taking her hand, Ratchet began to lead her away from the settlement, towards the forest on their left.

The woodland scenery enveloped them with its stillness. All creatures were slumbering, and all was quiet. Even the trees seemed silent, no breeze rustling their leaves as the two Lombaxes walked between them. Skyla wanted to ask again where they were going, but was afraid she would break the quiet so she swallowed her voice and simply followed Ratchet.

They walked for a while, travelling deeper into the woods with every step, further into the darkness. But Skyla wasn't afraid, because she had no need to be, not while she was with Ratchet.

Eventually, they came to a halt and Ratchet pointed between the trees.

"Over there," was all he said. Skyla followed his finger to where light was just trickling through the trees, indicating open ground beyond them. Something lay there, something outside of the trees. She glanced at Ratchet and he nodded encouragingly. Skyla let go of his hand and began to walk of her own accord. With each footfall she felt her heart begin to clench in fear, but she kept going, feeling sure that what lay beyond was worth it. The something became clearer as she drew closer, and soon she emerged from the shelter of the trees.

She found herself in a small clearing, like the one by the settlement as there was a cliff before her too. A large portioned of ground jutted out, forming a wide ledge that reached out over the cliff face. And the something lay at its centre, unmoving, as if it was waiting for her.

Skyla felt her feet turn to lead as she approached it and realised what it was. She came to its side and her heart stopped.

It was a mound of earth, several feet in length and a couple of feet in width. A small bed of flowers grew over it, freshly planted by the looks of it, a wonderful blend of lavender and white, like the bracelet Skyla wore. At its head was a large slab of pale stone, with just a few words carved into it.

_Maia_

_A dear friend, a sister, a mother_

_You're Not Alone_

Skyla's legs gave way and she crumpled to a heap beside the mound, beside the grave. Her hands reached out to the earth and clutched at it, feeling the dirt in her fingers, the gritty soil between her nails as she clawed at it.

Her head bowed as she felt it all cave in on her, the burdens of the past few weeks crushing her under their weight.

A single teardrop fell like a precious gem, shattering against the earth into a million tiny pieces before disappearing into the ground without a trace.

Another fell, and then another. One by one they fell, splashing to the soil where they sank away, leaving behind the barest traces of dampness. Over time, they became more and more, the trickle turning to a stream, and then to a river, and then to an ocean of water, pouring forth from her eyes like rain from the heavens. Skyla's shoulders shook gently as she sobbed over and over, tears running unchecked down her face.

And within her, she felt something give way and she opened her mouth.

And the words flowed.

"Maia, I'm so sorry. I'm so, _so_ sorry. For everything I've done...I'm sorry. Because it's all my fault, Maia, it's all my fault. Baen was right. I'm to blame for everything. For the Enyd being murdered, for Jaymz losing his legs...for you d-dying. It's all my fault. And I'm so sorry. If I'd just stayed where I was, with you...none of this would have happened. We would still be there, back at the facility, living as slaves, but living together. I would still have you, and you would still have...your life. God, Maia, I'm _so_ sorry. I wish...I wish this hadn't happened. I wish I'd never escaped that place. Because now...now..." she shook her head in distraught despair.

"I just can't believe you're gone!" she cried, "every day I wake up, it takes me too long to remember that you're not there. And when I do remember, it feels like I'm remembering for the first time, like these...emotions are new. And every day...I can't do it. I just...can't. I know you said I'm strong but the truth is...I'm not. You _were_ my strength. And without you...I can't. You said you believed in me, you said I could do it...but I can't. Maia, not without you. And I'm sorry. I've failed you." She paused to take a shaky breath.

"I know you always say to look on the bright side of life, but I can't see it...I don't know if I'll ever see it again," she gave a short, dry laugh, "you should have seen me these past weeks. I've been so...empty. I _am_ so empty. It's like...I have no heart any more. Ratchet and Clank...they've tried to help. I know they have. But...it's just...they're not _you,_ Maia. I need _you_. But...I don't have you. I don't have Jaymz either, or Xavier or Cornelius...they've been taken away for recuperation. And...I feel so...so _alone_, Maia. I know it's not true, Ratchet's letting me stay in his apartment for now...but it can't last. I...I don't want to bring my mess into his life. I'm selfish enough already." She sighed heavily,

"I always thought it would be us. Us against the galaxy. When I thought you'd died on the cargo ship...I could hardly go on living. I did...somehow, and found you again. But now...you're gone. Truly and honestly gone and I..." her voice cracked, "I don't know what to do! Maia...without you..." she trailed off.

"I miss you, Maia," she sobbed, "and I love you, so _so_ much. I love you and I miss you and I'm s-sorry." For a moment, Skyla simply let the grief gush from her, like water over a cliff, tumbling over in powerful waves...but it was a cascade that would not come to an end. She would never be free of this racking misery. And Skyla was ashamed, because she knew she was letting Maia down by allowing these feelings to drag her into their depths. But she didn't have the strength to fight them anymore.

Out of nowhere, a breeze picked up around her. It blew gently on Skyla, gently caressing her fur as it sent waves rippling through her hair. And in its touch there was a voice...a voice Skyla knew well. And the voice was laughing. The sound was light and gentle as it floated about her, wrapping her in a sweet embrace that felt warm and familiar. Skyla's brow creased as she listened to the noises in the breeze. It sounded so...free.

"Maia?" Skyla called, and the laughing continued, soft and merry as it skipped around her. It wasn't mocking, or patronising in any way, it sounded...happy, and free and...so full of life.

Slowly, Skyla got to her feet, her tears ceasing to fall as the breeze continued to flow about her, making her dress flutter as her fur shimmered in the light of the stars. Something tugged in her hand and she looked down. It was a flower, one from the grave. She didn't remember picking it up, but there it was, gently tugging in the breeze in an effort to break free of her hand.

And then it came to Skyla, like pieces of a puzzle falling into place. She knew what she had to do.

With slow, deliberate steps she moved around the grave and stood by the cliff edge. Before her stretched the Baran forest, vast and magnificent in glory as the stars shone down onto it, illuminating it all with a beautiful silver glow. It was just reaching the early hours of the morning, but the sun was not quite visible over the horizon.

The flower pulled again and Skyla held it up to the wind. She paused.

She wasn't sure what she was doing, but something about it felt right, like this was meant to happen. Something told her that this wasn't a meaningless venture, that it was in fact an essential step for her to take. But she hesitated.

And then the breeze called to her again, bringing with it the laughter. Shivers ran up and down Skyla's spine as she recognised the sound.

"Maia," she spoke the name aloud and once again the laughter answered. Skyla felt a presence draw near to her, like a spirit, and in her heart she knew that it was Maia. It was Maia, laughing, and waiting on her. It was Maia, assuring her that this...this was what she needed to do. Hands cupped her own, encouraging her to take the step, encouraging her to move toward her freedom.

"I love you," Skyla whispered, and opened her hand.

Immediately, the blossom was caught in the breeze, twirling about as it was taken up into the air. And Skyla felt the presence go after it, taking with it a piece of Skyla's heart that grew wings as it broke free, flying away with the flower to the heavens above. Skyla watched as the seen and the unseen journeyed further up and further, growing fainter with each passing second. Up and up and up...

And then they were gone.

Skyla sighed.

A weight seemed to lift from Skyla's shoulders and instantly she felt lighter for it, as if she was being allowed to stand up for the first time. Skyla smiled a small, soft smile and the breeze dropped, taking the sound of Maia's laughter with it. And all was still around her once again.

A single tear trickled down Skyla's face.

"Goodbye, Maia," she whispered to the wind. A peace descended over her heart, like a door being firmly shut and locked, the key hidden somewhere deep within. Known, and not forgotten, but no longer used. Now, she was free. Guilt still remained, in part, for her past mistakes...but they had begun to close up, smoothing over to a blurred patch like an old scar.

"Skyla?" she turned at the sound of her name and found a sandy Lombax standing beside her, watching her carefully. He smiled, a smile she had come to know well over the weeks. And for the first time in a long time, she returned it with a gentle one of her own.

Ratchet's heart leapt for joy at the look in her eyes. The blue had brightened, and though he could still see the scars of her past, they were faded and not as prominent.

Skyla's eyes flicked back out over the cliff and a small frown creased her brow. Now that she was truly free, there was the future to see to. It was out there, waiting for her...but waiting with what? She had no home, no family...where would she go? What would she do? She could only stay with Ratchet so long, she was loath to rely on him, to weigh him down with her needs. No, it would be better for her to leave. But still...she had no idea what lay ahead.

"Sky?" She glanced up at the dear man beside her and offered him a half hearted smile. Knowing it would not suffice she asked,

"What happens now?" Ratchet looked at her in mild puzzlement and she felt the need to elaborate.

"I mean..." Skyla searched for the right words, "what does the future hold? Where do I go? I have everything I ever wanted...except the one thing I thought I would always have." She winced slightly at this and looked down at her hands. She still wore the bracelet the Enyd had given her. It was the one thing that she absolutely refused to be parted of.

"You can always...stay with me...?" Ratchet offered as lightly as he could. His heart was suddenly beating very fast and he felt panic begin to rise in him. What if she decided to leave after all? What if...after everything, she still left him? He didn't know if he could cope with that. But he forced himself to calm and wait for her reply.

A look of confusion entered Skyla's eyes as she went over his words. Stay with him? But wasn't she already? And wasn't she a burden?

"I mean...long term...stay," she clarified, "I...I don't want to impose upon your home, I'd just be a burden. You have your life...I must find mine."

"Sky..." Ratchet began, not quite believing what she was saying. A burden? Was she serious? The look in her eyes told him she was.

"Skyla, you could _never_ be a burden to me," he told her seriously, "what in Solana made you think that?" Skyla frowned,

"But I..."

"Skyla," Ratchet cut across her, "you can stay with me for as long as you like. Forever, or just a day, however long you want. My home...it can be your home too," he told her with a gentle firmness. The confused look deepened as her eyes widened,

"F-Forever?" she stuttered uncertainly, "but...surely I should...I mean...forever?" Ratchet wanted to groan out loud and bang his head on something very solid. Was she really that blind? Couldn't she see he was telling the truth? Couldn't she see what she meant to him?

"Yes, Sky, forever," he paused briefly, then added, "I want you to stay." She looked at him in puzzled shock,

"You want me to stay?" Ratchet just stopped himself from facepalming and instead composed himself and simply nodded,

"Yes, I do. With all my heart, I _want_ you to stay," he confessed. Skyla's mind whirled in turmoil. What was he saying? She was sure it would make sense to any other creature...but her brain had turned to mush and she couldn't think straight. Stay with him...forever? But...why? He said she wasn't a burden...but what else could she be?

"But why?" she cried in anguish, "why? I'm a mess, Ratchet. You've seen me over the past weeks...I'm broken! I'm hollow and empty and...broken. I would only...bring mess into your life. And I...I can't do that," she finished, her voice trailing off in misery.

"I'm a mechanic. I fix things for a living," Ratchet retorted with a twitching smile. She laughed lightly and looked down again, her eyes dimming,

"You can't fix me, Ratchet," she murmured in a low voice.

"I can try," he whispered. Skyla sighed,

"Ratchet...I..." her voice trailed off, "I can't" she said quietly. Ratchet had had enough. Gently gripping her chin he tilted her face up so that he was looking right at her.

"What will it take for me to get you to stay?" he asked her. Her brow furrowed,

"Wha-what?"

"Skyla," Ratchet swallowed, "I want you to stay with me, please. If only for a while. I just...I want to be with you for that much longer. Hell, the truth is...I want you to be part of my life...permanently. I never want you to leave...but...I'm not going to force you to stay. I told Maia I'd take care of you...and I will...for as long as I can. But...please, stay with me...for now," his voice was calm but inside his heart was thumping like a drum in wild panic. She shook her head in hopeless uncertainty,

"Why?" she mewed quietly, her eyes betraying her inner turmoil. Subconsciously, she knew that what Ratchet was saying was the truth, he would never lie to her. He wanted her to stay, but she was still struggling to see why. Who would want _her_, a broken, tormented soul to live with them...forever?

In that moment, Ratchet knew he would never be able to tell her, to explain to her in words why it was he wanted her to stay. So he decided to show her.

Without another thought he leaned forward and met her lips with his own in a soft, tender kiss. She gave a small gasp of surprise at the contact, but didn't draw back, not even moving at all as he cupped her face gently in the palm of his hand. He drew it out for several seconds before withdrawing ever so slightly, keeping his face close to hers and his hand on her cheek.

"Does that answer your question?" he murmured quietly to her.

Skyla stood in complete shock as she looked back at him, and into the green of his eyes. And what she saw there...shook her to the very core of her soul.

Because he didn't care. He didn't care that she was broken. He didn't care that she was a tormented soul. He didn't care that her past was as black and as bleak as a starless night.

He just cared for her.

In his eyes, there was only honest compassion, silently pleading to be recognised by her, to be acknowledged. And she hadn't seen it...until now.

And now she knew, the answer to his question and more. She knew why he wanted her to stay, and she felt embarassed. Had she really been so blind to not see it before? What kind of idiot was she to not even notice the blatant affection that was staring her right in the face?

"I'm so stupid," she blurted suddenly. Ratchet gave a breathy laugh as he nodded,

"Yes." Skyla studied him briefly, the pieces gradually falling into place in her mind. It was all beginning to make sense. While she'd been so caught up in Maia and her own selfish feelings of loss...she'd completely failed to see the growing light in Ratchet's eyes. The light which was still growing, even as she watched. And with a start of surprise she noticed that her own eyes were reflected in his...and they too were full of light. While she'd hidden behind a veil, her own feelings had gone ahead without her, blossoming into a delicate flower of emotion before her eyes.

And yet Ratchet had said nothing, simply waiting patiently for her to come to this realisation of her own accord. And she'd kept him waiting.

"I'm...I'm so s-sorry," she stammered, but the words seemed meaningless. How was she supposed to apologise for something on this grand a scale? How was she supposed to say sorry for ignoring such strong, powerful feelings?

"I forgive you," Ratchet murmured before leaning in once again.

The second time was like the sealing of the pact, fastening the two Lombaxes together...forever.

Skyla felt her heart start to sing for joy and relief as her caged emotions were finally set free, flying out on the wings of doves as they showered her with new, fresh devotion. It was like the dirt from her eyes had been washed away and now, finally, she could see clearly for the first time. And it was beautiful Because this, _this_ was what she'd been missing out on. Stuck in her hole of misery...she'd neglected the light that was now shining through as clear as anything.

Because _this_ was it.

_This_ was what Maia had told her about, the unparalleled feelings between two beings, joined in the most intimate and precious of bonds.

_This_ was what she'd ignored for so long in her depressive state, only to have it spring upon her in a sudden burst of realisation.

_This _was what Ratchet had been waiting, no, _longing_ for her to return, to finally come to the conclusion he'd reached long before her.

_This_ was Love.

Love in its purest and most potent form.

And the kiss...

It was like nothing Skyla had ever experienced. Right there and then she could have sworn by the stars that a million fireworks were going off in her belly, tumbling and bursting in a shower of bright colours. It was like she'd slipped into another world where only two things existed – her and Ratchet. It was...bliss.

Skyla angled her head slightly to ease the kiss, not at all sure of what she was doing, but feeling that she must be doing something right as he responded eagerly. His arms wrapped around her waist, pulling her closer to him, and she felt light shocks travel up and down her body at his touch. Her hands travelled up to rest on his chest, and even through the fabric of his clothing she could feel the firm muscles beneath them, offering comfort in their strength. His mouth fell open slightly and she followed his lead as the kiss deepened, a passionate delirium taking ahold of Skyla as she fell into the oblivion. She could quite happily remain this way forever.

Ratchet was in seventh heaven. This wasn't his first kiss, but it put his others to shame. The feel of her against him was something so exquisite he felt that he would never have enough of it. And the taste of her...it was so sweet and delicious, like milk and honey on his tongue, filling his mouth with its gentle flavour. He pulled her closer to him still, relishing in the feel of her body against his, their two hearts beating as one. How long had he wanted this? He didn't know...but all he knew now was that he finally had her. A deep need began to pool in his stomach, a thirst for more of her, more of her taste, more of her touch...but he could wait, and for now he was simply content with having her near him, feeling her lips against his and her hands on his chest.

Eventually their lungs had had enough and they drew apart, gasping lightly. Skyla took a moment to clear the dizziness in her head from lack of oxygen and excess of emotion, panting slightly with joyous exertion as her head rested against his. Ratchet drew her into an embrace, burying his head into her hair and breathing deeply. Her scent...a mixture of pine and other plants, soaked up from her time in the chamber. He could breathe it in for oxygen.

Skyla felt his arms around her, and for the first time in years, she felt safe. In his arms, there was no fighting, no pain, no loss. In his arms, there was only his strength, and his comfort. And they fitted together, their bodies folding against each other so perfectly it was if they were made for the other. In his arms was where Skyla belonged, and where she would remain. Her eyes closed and her lips tilted up into a content smile as she nestled into him, her saviour. Ratchet smiled as he too closed his eyes, just savouring the moment of quiet, when he could hold Skyla in his arms, and forget all else.

And as the couple held each other close, the sun began to rise over the horizon.


	29. 14 Years Later

14 years later...

The Eudoran sun beat down on Skyla as she patted down the soil around her freshly planted Nayala flower. It had been a birthday present for her from Ratchet, but she'd only just gotten around to planting it. Standing up, she brushed the loose dirt from her knees and looked over her work with a pleased eye.

"Mama! Mama!" the cry was accompanied by the sound of running feet and Skyla looked up to see a small grey Lombax round the corner, running full pelt towards her. Skyla frowned slightly as the child reached her and proceeded to hide behind her,

"What's the matter, Hope?"

"ROAR!" another figure staggered into view and the small Lombax screamed, burying her head into the back of Skyla's leg. Her mother smiled and eyed the new figure warily,

"Kaden, you shouldn't be scaring your sister like that," she told the stumbling figure.

"I'm not Kaden," came a muffled voice, "I'm an Agorian...ROAR!" the figure yelled, hands outstretched like a zombie. And indeed, they were wearing an Agorian mask which bobbed about comically on their head. When they were within range Skyla reached forward and plucked the mask from the figure, revealing the face of a young male Lombax, with sandy fur, caramel stripes and green eyes.

"Oi!" he exclaimed in objection, then shrunk under his mother's stern gaze, "sorry," he mumbled, then added, "I didn't mean to scare her."

"I no scared!" the small grey Lombax protested, coming out from behind Skyla.

"Yes you were," Kaden retorted.

"No!" his sister cried.

"Were too."

"Were not too," the little Lombax answered stubbornly.

"Enough," announced Skyla and held out the mask for her son. But before he could take it she gave him a look.

"I promise I won't scare her," the boy mumbled before Skyla let him reclaim his mask. His eyes widened as he seemed to notice something behind her,

"Look out, Hope! Cragmites!" Skyla smiled as the smaller Lombax gasped and spun around. Kaden rushed past her, tagging her as he did,

"You're it!" he called as he ran off. Hope stomped her foot as she realised she'd been tricked,

"No fair," she pouted before running after her brother as fast as her little legs could carry her. Skyla watched the two chase each other for a moment.

"Mama, is this alright?" came a voice and Skyla looked over at another Lombax who was kneeling beside a flower bed. Skyla moved over and assessed her work,

"That's wonderful! Well done, Maia," she told the chocolate Lombax. Maia smiled with pleasure and got up, dusting her hands as she did. Then her eyes flicked to behind Skyla,

"Oh good, refreshments." Skyla turned to see that she was right. Ratchet and another young Lombax were approaching them bearing two trays, one with a jug of yellow liquid and cups and the other with a plate of delicious looking biscuits.

"Thought we'd come out and see how you're doing," Ratchet said as they approached, "and we could all use a break." Skyla beamed at him,

"Sounds good to me." They all took a seat on the soft grass, Ratchet and the other Lombax setting the trays down in front of them.

"So how's it going in the workshop, Al?" Skyla asked as she began pouring drinks for them all. The light grey Lombax shrugged, though Skyla could tell from the twinkle in his blue eyes that he was pleased,

"It's ok."

"It's better than ok," Ratchet corrected, accepting a cup from his wife, "Al's nearly built his own thermal screwdriver...which is no easy task." His son blushed and her looked down in embarrassment,

"Well..."

"That's wonderful, Alister," Maia told him, taking a biscuit. Her brother smiled,

"Thanks."

"These biscuits are delicious, Maia," Skyla said as she swallowed a mouthful, "where did you get the recipe?"

"Godfather Clank, he said it was a secret recipe," the young Lombax replied.

"A secret recipe, eh?" Ratchet echoed, "sounds like Clank's been experimenting again."

"They taste lovely," Alister commented, eating away at his own wafer.

"Thank you," Maia smiled.

"Ahoy there, me hearties! I spy booty!" cried a voice and all of a sudden two figures descended upon the group.

"I thought you were chasing Cragmites," Skyla mused aloud as the smaller grey Lombax headed straight for Ratchet and sat herself in his lap. She picked up a biscuit and began to nibble it like a squirrel. Kaden eyed his mother's lap and Skyla rolled her eyes,

"Oh, come on then." Without further ado the sandy Lombax unceremoniously plonked himself in her lap. Skyla let out a whoosh of air as he landed,

"You're getting a bit big for this, Kaden."

"I'm only 7," the boy protested, taking a large bite from a cookie and crunching it up noisily.

"Well, 7's a big age," Skyla replied.

"Not as big as Maia's," her son pointed out, "she's 9 which is bigger than 7."

"Yes, but Maia's a girl and girls are lighter than boys," Alister mentioned.

"Only 'cos boys got more muscle," Ratchet added with a wink at his sons.

"Yeah! We're more...manly," Kaden stated, "if there were no men then..."

"There would be order?" Skyla finished for him with a dry smile.

"No," Kaden answered back immediately, "you'd all be abducted by pirates!" he proclaimed dramatically.

"What about boy pirates?" asked Maia, sipping from her cup. Kaden looked stumped at that.

"Don't worry Kay, boys aren't going anywhere," Ratchet assured him.

"Can I be a boy?" piped up Hope, half a biscuit in her hand with at least a quarter crumbled in her lap.

"Of course not," Kaden snorted. His sister frowned,

"Why not?" she demanded.

"'Cos...you're scared of Agorians," Kaden told her, "boys aren't scared of Agorians."

"I'm scared of Agorians," Alister murmured, but his brother didn't seem to hear him.

"I no scared of 'gorians," Hope protested, her green eyes full of childish indignation.

"Are too," Kaden stuck his tongue out at her.

"That's enough, Kaden," Skyla said in her warning voice, then smiled at her daughter, "being a boy is great, Hope, but being a girl is better."

"Hear, hear," Maia chimed in. Skyla's youngest child looked thoughtful for a moment, then shrugged comically,

"Ok, I be a girl."

"Eurgh! Who'd want to be a girl?" Kaden exclaimed in disgust, "ow!" he cried as Skyla cuffed him lightly around the head. The sandy Lombax wriggled out of her lap and stood up.

"Right, I'm off to find treasure," he announced to no-one in particular.

"I thought you said this was your booty?" Ratchet asked with a grin. Kaden looked down his nose at the trays.

"What booty? No, I be after real gold, ahar!" With that, he turned and galloped away. Hope looked after him for a short moment before stuffing the rest of her biscuit into her mouth and, scrambling to her feet, she began to run after her brother.

"Finish your mouthful!" Skyla called after her. The little girl stopped and turned around, displaying the contents of her mouth to her mother. Without waiting for the all clear she sped off. Alister sighed, watching the sandy Lombax run around waving a stick he was using as a sword,

"And you're sure we're twins?" he asked Ratchet in a sceptical manner.

"Ask your mother, she's the one who gave birth to you," his father replied with a chuckle. Skyla nodded,

"You are twins, Al." The light grey Lombax looked somewhat bemused at this.

"Thank you for the drink and biscuits," Maia addressed her father and brother.

"Our pleasure," Ratchet responded with a smile, shuffling closer to his wife. Skyla began piling the things onto the tray and made to get up.

"No, it's ok, I'll do it," Alister insisted, picking up one of the trays.

"I'll help," Maia scooped up the other tray and got to her feet.

"Thank you," Skyla said to them as they began to walk away. She suddenly became aware how close Ratchet was and grinned.

"And what do you want?" she asked as he nuzzled her neck playfully.

"You," he whispered back and Skyla's stomach fluttered. 14 years and every touch still felt like the first. Tilting her head back, she kissed him tenderly on the mouth. He was taken by slight surprise but quickly recovered and responded enthusiastically.

"EURGH!" came a cry and they broke apart to see Kaden standing not far away, watching them with morbid curiosity. Before either of them had a chance to reply he'd run off again. Skyla leaned against Ratchet,

"He gets that from you, you know." Ratchet wrapped his arms around his wife, his Soulmate, pulling her closer to him.

"Mmm," he murmured in agreement as he breathed in her fresh scent. There were times when he just couldn't get enough her, and even her smell was enough to make his innards melt and his heart pound. He planted a few kisses up her neck to her ear,

"I love you," he whispered spontaneously.

"I love you too," Skyla purred in reply, snuggling against him, relishing in the warmth and strength of his embrace, how safe it made her feel.

And as the bright sun shone down on them, the two Lombaxes sat tangled up in each other, filled with contentment as they listened to the sounds of their children at play.

And in Skyla's mind she heard the voice of Maia, her old friend, whispering words she would never forget to the end of her days,

"_You're not alone."_

**The End**


	30. Author's Letter

**Dear Readers,**

**I FINISHED EDITING IT...FINALLY. I thought I'd be done in a couple of weeks and it took me **_**six months!**_** For those of you interested...that's longer than it took for me to write it in the first place xD**

**But, I have finished, and this is the last author's note I shall be posting for this tale.**

**The success of this story has boosted my confidence in my writing abilities, and for that I must thank each and every one of my readers. Even if you haven't reviewed, just knowing that you've read my work is enough for me. Thank you :)  
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**In total, this story is 180+ pages as a Word Document with font size 12...so I also feel that cookies are in order for everyone who trekked through the entire thing! Cookies for all :3**

**I did not write this tale for myself – it is for you and you alone to enjoy. The greatest gift you can give an author is appreciation and I would dearly appreciate yours, however big or small it may be :)  
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**There are just a few people I'd like to thank in particular...**

**PenMagic – You've never played the games, but I cannot tell you how thrilled I am that you still read my work and enjoyed it...that means so much to me coming from you, being yourself such a talented, wonderful writer and friend. You have reviewed every chapter without fail and for that I am eternally grateful to you. Thank you :)**

**MrBlack103 – You've been a tremendous help, my friend, your knowledge of the Ratchet and Clank games seemingly knowing no bounds! Your reviews have been both encouraging and uplifting for that I thank you :)**

**KiwiLombax15 – I've said it before and I'll say it again, you are my unofficial beta reader. It's slightly baffling how you pick up on practically every spelling or grammatical error I make, but I thank you nevertheless because it shows you care and are actually paying attention to my work. And you seem to enjoy it too, so that's a nice little bonus! I hope the edited version is more suited to your Grammar Nazi taste...! Thank you :)**

**AnnabethRide – You, my dear, deserve a special mention because you created the first piece of FanArt I have **_**ever**_** received. I can't tell you how excited, chuffed and honoured I was to receive it. I literally bounced around the room when I saw your drawing for the first time, completely blown away that someone had felt inspired to draw a character of my creation...! Thank you :)**

**And thank you to all the other lovely artists...**

**- brittneyxthexparrot (gillzgillian on DeviantArt)**

**- Lady-Cosmic-Brownie (Cosmic-Brownie on DeviantArt)**

**- XxSummer-SolsticexX**

**- KiwiLombax15 (KiwiLombax15 on DeviantArt)**

**- Aragorn**

**(I assure you, I will keep this list updated so those of you who continue to create wonderful art are not forgotten)**

**Now, the all important question...what next?**

**For those of you interested, I have a Oneshot series up pertaining to this story entitled 'Of Planets, Stars and Galaxies'. It is a series of Oneshots from before, during and after 'You're Not Alone', with a setting and inspiration introducing each one. Their numbers are steadily growing, and as always...reviews do help inspire me to write more!**

**A sequel to 'You're Not Alone' is a possibility, and if you do wish for one, then please do vote on my profile poll. As much as it pains me to say it, I will not seriously consider writing a sequel until at least 30 people have voted in favour (it's on 16...so it's over halfway). It would simply give me the confidence and willpower to embark on another great story epic...so do please vote if you haven't already!**

**That's all I wanted to say, but I shall repeat the most important part – thank you (yes, you!) for reading my story and I would **_**love**_** to hear what you make of it.**

**Until next time, my dear friends, luck and good fortune be with you :)  
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**All my love,**

***~Magic Of Every Kind~***


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